OLIVE 
TRACY 


AMY   LE  FEUVRE 


S82JD 


cP  O 


(6 


OLIVE 
TRACY 


BY 


AMY  LE  FEUVRE 

Author  of 
"Probable  Sons,"  "Legend  Led,"  etc. 


Copyright,  1900 

by 
DODD,  MEAD  &  COMPANY 


Contents 

CHAPTER   I 
A  "SPOILT"  DAY         .  .  .  .  i 

CHAPTER  II 
"  TRY  TO  FORGET  ME  ! "  .  .14 

CHAPTER  III 

"  BORN  WITHOUT  A  BACKBONE  "  .30 

CHAPTER   IV 
"A  HUSBAND  is  PART  OF  ONE'S  SOUL"          .         44 

CHAPTER  V 
THE  "  ONLY  CONTENTED  ONE  IN  THE  FAMILY  "       55 

CHAPTER   VI 
SHAKEN  ....  66 

CHAPTER  VII 
A  CHANGE        .  .  .  .          •  .         77 

CHAPTER  VIII 
STILL  LIFE        .  .  .  .  .88 

CHAPTER  IX 

WALKS  AND  TALKS      .  .  .  .99 

v 


28425 


vi  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  X 
THE  VALLEY  OF  SHADOWS  112 


CHAPTER  XI 
CORA     .  .  .  .  .  .124 

CHAPTER  XII 
"  RUIN  AND  RIBBONS  "  ...       135 

CHAPTER  XIII 
A  LETTER         .....       147 

CHAPTER  XIV 
MYSTERIES        .  .  .  .  .157 

CHAPTER  XV 

FAMILY  JEWELS  .  .  .  .169 

CHAPTER  XVI 
"ON  ACTIVE  SERVICE"  .  .  .182 

CHAPTER  XVII 
IN  THE  ORCHARD         ....       195 

CHAPTER  XVIII 
"SEVERELY  WOUNDED"  .  .  .       206 

CHAPTER  XIX 
A  FULLER  SPHERE        ....       217 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XX  PAGE 

NURSING  228 


CHAPTER  XXI 
"  TELL  ME  You  ARE  GLAD  TO  SEE  ME  !  "         .       238 

CHAPTER  XXII 
BAD  NEWS        .....       248 

CHAPTER  XXIII 

A  MISERABLE  WOMAN  .  .  .       265 


FLIGHT  .....       275 

CHAPTER  XXV 
ELSIE'S  CHOICE  ....       285 

CHAPTER  XXVI 
A  DISAPPOINTMENT      ....       294 

CHAPTER   XXVII 
THE  PRINCE  AND  PRINCESS       .  .  .       306 

CHAPTER   XXVIII 
LINKED  TOGETHER       .  .  .  .317 

CHAPTER  XXIX 

HOME  FROM  THE  WAR  .  .  .       329 


OLIVE    TRACY 

CHAPTER  I 

A    "  SPOILT  "    DAY 

If  it  be  my  lot  to  crawl,  I  will  crawl  contentedly  ;  if  to  fly,  I  will 
fly  with  alacrity  ;  but  as  long  as  I  can  help  it,  I  will  never  be  unhappy. 
— Sydney  Smith. 

IT  was  a  sunshiny  morning  in  early  April.  Outside : 
a  quaint,  old-fashioned  garden,  with  a  great  deal  of  green 
turf  and  bright  spring  flowers  bordering  evergreen  shrub- 
beries ;  inside  :  a  low,  long  dining-room,  with  the  break- 
fast table  laid,  and  Olive  Tracy  standing  at  the  open 
window,  softly  singing  to  herself,  as  she  looked  out  on 
the  dew-laden,  sun-tipped  lawn. 

She  was  a  tall,  slight  girl,  with  dark  brown  hair  and 
Irish-blue  eyes,  eyes  that  seemed  always  full  of  hidden 
laughter,  and  a  mouth  with  mischievous  curves.  Yet 
the  face  was  a  powerful  one ;  there  was  determination 
in  the  firmly  moulded  chin,  thoughtfulness  in  the  clear 
brow. 

Clad  in  a  fresh,  cotton  shirt  and  dark  blue  skirt,  with 
a  bunch  of  yellow  daffodils  in  her  belt,  she  was  not  an 
inapt  personification  of  spring  itself. 

Her  attitude,  as  she  now  raised  her  head  to  watch  the 
soaring  of  a  lark  outside,  bespoke  eager  hope  and  glad- 
ness. Life  seemed  at  the  moment  very  fair;  her  young 

i 


OLIVE   TRACY 


veins  throbbed  with  life,  and  the  fresh,  sweet  world  out- 
side delighted  her  soul. 

"  Up  with  me  !  up  with  me  into  the  clouds ! 

For  thy  song,  lark,  is  strong ; 
Up  with  me !  up  with  me  into  the  clouds ! 

Singing,  singing. 

With  all  the  heavens  about  thee  ringing, 
Lift  me,  guide  me  till  I  find 
That  spot  which  seems  so  to  thy  mind  !  " 

She  trilled  the  words  out  with  careless  joy,  then 
started,  as  a  bass  voice  near  her  echoed  the  last  two  lines. 

"  Good-morning,  Olive." 

"  Oh,  how  you  startled  me !  Your  Grace  is  not 
usually  an  early  bird." 

She  greeted  the  newcomer,  who  had  crossed  the  lawn 
unseen,  and  now  stood  outside  the  open  window,  with  a 
sunny  smile,  then  invited  him  in.  He  swung  himself 
over  the  low  sash  with  the  easy  privilege  of  an  old 
friend,  and  then  standing  with  his  back  to  the  fireplace, 
he  looked  her  up  and  down  rather  gravely. 

"  You  are  the  first  down  ?  " 

"That  is  a  most  original  observation." 

He  smiled,  and  his  smile  transformed  his  dark  and 
somewhat  rugged  features.  Tall  and  broad  shouldered, 
with  clear,  honest,  grey  eyes,  before  which  wrong-doers 
invariably  quailed,  Marmaduke  Crofton  could  hardly 
be  called  a  handsome  man.  "  He  is  such  a  man  !  "  was 
the  highest  praise  ever  offered  him.  And  his  mother 
was  the  only  one  who  dared  affirm  that  he  had  a 
"  beautiful  face.'' 

"  I  shall  keep  my  news  till  the  rest  of  the  family 
make  their  appearance." 


A   "SPOILT"    DAY 


"  Is  it  good  news  ?  " 

He  looked  at  the  spotless  white  cloth,  the  steaming 
silver  urn,  and  the  dainty  breakfast  service,  with  bowls 
of  golden  daffodils  in  the  centre,  and  remarked  : 

"I  think  your  breakfast  is  the  nicest  meal  in  the  day." 

"Shall  I  tell  you  why  you  think  so  ?  It  is  because 
you  feel  so  virtuous  when  you  arrive  in  time  for  it.  They 
say  that  early  risers  are  exasperatingly  complacent  and 
self-satisfied.  But  here  is  mother;  we  never  wait  for 
Elsie,  so  now  for  your  news  !  " 

A  gentle,  fragile  old  lady  in  widow's  dress  entered  as  her 
daughter  spoke,  and  greeted  the  young  man  very  warmly. 

"  This  is  like  old  times,  Duke.  Do  you  remember  when 
you  and  Mark  would  come  running  up  the  garden  on 
your  way  to  school,  and  beg  for  a  slice  of  bread  and 
honey  or  a  hot  scone,  saying  you  were  half-starved  at 
home  ?  " 

"  You  were  always  too  good  to  us,"  said  Marmaduke 
Crofton,  a  kindly  gleam  coming  into  his  grey  eyes. 
"  Well,  Mrs.  Tracy,  I  passed  the  doctor's  yesterday,  and 
am  off  to  town  to-day  to  see  about  rejoining." 

"  Where  is  your  battery  now  ?  " 

"  At  Aldershot ;  but  I  am  joining  the  — th  at  the  Cape." 

Olive  looked  up  quickly. 

"  Is  that  your  doing  or  that  of  the  War  Office  ?  "  she 
asked. 

"  Mine  entirely.  I  am  going  to  exchange  with  Perry, 
who  wants  to  come  home." 

"  I  wonder  at  your  going  abroad  with  your  father  so 
infirm,"  said  Mrs.  Tracy  gently.  "  Does  Lady  Crofton 


approve 


"  Yes,  I  think  she  does.     The  fact  is,  I  shall  be  close 


OLIVE   TRACY 


to  Mark,  and  he  has  been  at  a  low  ebb  lately,  and  the 
mother  is  anxious  I  should  see  him.  We  are  only 
stationed  twenty  miles  off  from  his  diggings." 

"  Always  Mark,"  murmured  Olive. 

There  was  a  silence,  which  was  broken  by  the  en- 
trance of  Elsie  Tracy,  a  fair-haired  girl,  two  years  younger 
than  Olive.  She  looked  a  little  discomposed  at  seeing  a 
visitor. 

"I  do  hate  surprises  in  the  morning,"  she  said,  as 
having  wished  good-morning,  she  took  her  seat  at  the 
foot  of  the  table  with  a  wrinkled  brow. 

"  Elsie  takes  a  long  time  to  recover  full  conscious- 
ness," said  Olive,  looking  at  her  sister  quizzically.  "  She 
wakes  gradually,  and  takes  till  noon  to  do  it.  The 
process  is  trying  to  all !  " 

"You  need  not  try  to  bring  me  into  conversation," 
Elsie  remarked  indifferently.  "  My  ears  are  always 
busier  than  my  tongue.  Is  there  any  news  ?  " 

"  Duke  is  going  abroad,"  Mrs.  Tracy  remarked  ;  then 
turning  to  the  young  man,  she  said,  "  Are  you  sure  you 
are  quite  well  again  ?  It  would  be  serious  if  you  had  a 
return  of  fever  when  you  got  out  there." 

"  I  have  never  felt  better  In  my  life,"  was  the  hearty 
reply.  "  A  change  of  air  and  scene  will  be  good  for 
me.  I  have  never  been  to  the  Cape ;  it  will  be  a  new 
experience." 

"  And  how  long  does  the  battery  stay  there  ?  " 

"  It  is  quite  uncertain.  I  believe  there  is  trouble 
brewing  out  there." 

"  You  will  be  coming  back  with  a  Kaffir  wife,"  said 
Olive,  with  a  little  laugh. 

Marmaduke  made  no  reply,  but  met  her  mischievous 


A   "SPOILT"    DAY 


gaze  with  a  grave  and  steady  look ;  a  look  which  had  the 
effect  of  making  her  hastily  withdraw  her  eyes  from  his, 
and  drop  them  in  confusion  upon  her  plate;  she  took 
hold  of  the  cream  jug,  then  dropped  it  with  a  crash,  and 
the  snowy  cloth  was  deluged  at  once. 

Mrs.  Tracy  started  and  looked  much  annoyed. 

"  My  dear  Olive,  how  careless  !  Ring  the  bell  for 
Fanny.  I  do  so  much  dislike  clumsiness.  What  were 
you  doing  ?  You  are  not  generally  so  awkward  !  " 

u  I  am  always  glad  when  Olive  is  a  delinquent," 
observed  Elsie  quietly.  "  A  mistake  on  her  part  I  hail 
with  delight,  she  is  so  self-assured  and  correct." 

"  I  don't  often  make  mistakes,"  Olive  said  cheerfully, 
"but  when  I  do,  I  own  it.  I'm  sorry  mother,  but  the 
jug  is  not  broken.  What  was  I  going  to  say  ?  Oh,  I 
know — you  must  go  up  to  Diogenes,  your  Grace  !  " 

"  Of  course  I  will.  How  is  he  ?  Same  as  usual,  I 
suppose." 

"Just  the  same." 

They  chatted  away  on  different  subjects,  then  Marma- 
duke  left  the  room  saying  : 

"  I  have  only  ten  minutes  to  give  the  boy.  Give  me 
a  call  when  they  are  up,  Olive,  will  you  ?  " 

As  he  closed  the  door  behind  him,  Olive  said  impetu- 
ously : 

"I  cannot  understand  how  Lady  Crofton  can  do  it. 
She  thinks  twice  as  much  of  Mark  as  of  his  Grace. 
The  estate  is  being  ruined  by  the  mismanagement  of  that 
horrid  agent  they  have,  and  there  will  be  no  one  to 
keep  a  check  upon  him.  His  Grace  could  run  down 
from  Aldershot,  but  South  Africa !  And  his  father 
slowly  dying  !  I  call  it  positively  heartless  !  " 


OLIVE   TRACY 


"  I  am  afraid  Mark  has  been  giving  them  a  great  deal 
of  trouble  lately,"  said  Mrs.  Tracy.  "  Lady  Crofton 
told  me  as  much  when  I  last  saw  her.  He  is  wanting  a 
great  deal  of  money,  and  I  expect  she  wishes  Duke  to  find 
out  his  exact  position  out  there,  and  look  after  his  affairs." 

"  Mark  will  always  be  Mark.  I  only  hope  he  will 
not  come  home." 

"  Eddie  is  out  of  his  clutches  now,"  said  Elsie,  rising 
from  the  table,  and  jumping  lightly  out  of  the  low  win- 
dow. "  Do  you  want  any  flowers,  Olive  ?  " 

"  Yes — some  for  the  drawing-room.  Mother,  I  have 
heard  from  Eddie  this  morning.  He  says  he  is  going  to 
ask  for  a  couple  of  days'  leave  next  week." 

"Is  he  coming  home  ?  Why,  Olive,  you  are  a  long 
time  in  giving  us  the  news.  Dear  boy  !  I  haven't  seen 
him  for  three  months." 

The  glad  curves  left  Olive's  eyes  and  lips.  She  stood 
confronting  her  mother  almost  sternly. 

"  Mother,  he  ought  not  to  come  home.  I  am  going 
to  write  and  advise  him  not." 

Mrs.  Tracy  seated  herself  in  a  low  chair  by  the  win- 
dow, and  held  out  her  hand  for  the  letter. 

"  What  nonsense,  Olive  !  You  are  always  so  severe 
with  him — what  does  he  say  ?  Isn't  his  home  the  right 
place  for  him  ?  " 

"  I  can't  think  why  he  went  into  the  army,"  Olive 
said,  as  she  gave  her  mother  the  letter.  "  His  one  idea 
is  to  get  away  from  his  work." 

She  stood  again  at  the  window,  but  there  was  a  little 
pucker  between  her  eyes ;  then  she  looked  at  the  clock, 
and  leaving  the  room  hastily,  went  out  into  a  square 
dark  hall. 


A   "SPOILT"   DAY 


"  Time's  up  !  "  she  called  out  in  a  clear,  ringing  voice. 

Marmaduke  Crofton  came  down  the  stair  two  steps 
at  a  time. 

"  Come  down  to  the  bridge  with  me,  will  you  ?  "  he 
said. 

Olive  looked  at  him  rather  doubtfully. 

"  I  shall  hinder  you." 

"  There  is  plenty  of  time." 

She  picked  up  a  garden  hat,  and  led  the  way  out  of  a 
glass  door  down  the  sunny  garden. 

Elsie,  picking  jonquils  on  the  lawn,  nodded  to  them 
as  they  passed  by. 

Past  the  green  turf  and  a  row  of  old  elm  at  the 
bottom,  through  a  small  iron  gate,  a  winding  path,  a 
stile,  and  out  into  a  buttercup  meadow,  Olive  talking 
rapidly  the  while  and  not  very  sensible. 

At  last  she  looked  up  at  her  companion. 

"  You  are  glum,  your  Grace.  How  can  you  be  on 
such  a  morning  ?  It  feels  good  to  be  alive  on  a  day  like 
this." 

Then  he  looked  down  at  her,  and  his  voice  was 
earnest  and  strong. 

"  Olive,  six  months  ago  I  asked  you  a  question,  and 
you  gave  me  an  answer.  You  said  this  morning  you 
seldom  make  mistakes.  Is  it  a  false  hope  of  mine  that 
you  made  one  then  ?  " 

"  Entirely  false,"  said  Olive,  in  a  would-be  cheerful 
tone,  looking  straight  before  her  as  she  spoke.  "  We 
agreed  then,  if  you  remember,  that  we  would  still  remain 
old  friends.  I  have  not  broken  that  compact." 

Marmaduke  bit  his  dark  moustache  somewhat  nerv- 
ously. 


8 OLIVE   TRACY 

"  I  am  going  away  for  a  long  time,"  he  said,  "  or  I 
would  not  plead  again  so  soon." 

They  had  reached  an  old  stone  bridge  across  the 
river.  On  the  other  side  lay  the  high  road,  and  Olive 
came  to  a  standstill  with  determination  imprinted  on  her 
features. 

"  I  must  go  back,"  she  said,  with  an  unsteady  laugh. 
u  I  have  to  do  my  housekeeping  and  order  dinner. 
Good-bye.  I  have  nothing  different  to  say  than  what  I 
said  when  last  we  touched  upon  this  subject ;  and  am 
sorry  that  you  have  chosen  to  refer  to  it  again." 

Marmaduke  came  to  a  halt,  and  squared  his  shoulders 
as  if  to  brace  himself  afresh.  Taking  both  her  hands 
in  his,  he  forced  her  to  look  at  him,  and  resenting  the 
action,  she  raised  a  very  defiant  and  mocking  little  face." 

"Olive,  I  do  not  believe  you  know  your  own  heart." 

"  Thank  you,"  she  replied,  dropping  him  a  little 
curtsey.  "  I  suppose  it  does  seem  wonderful  that  I 
should  not  appreciate  such  an  offer.  I  am  deeply  grate- 
ful for  the  honour,  but " 

She  got  no  further,  for  Marmaduke  dropped  her 
hands  with  a  catch  in  his  breath,  raised  his  hat,  and 
walked  straight  away  from  her  without  another  word. 
She  stood  and  watched  his  figure  disappear,  with  mingled 
feelings  of  dismay  and  relief. 

"  Stupid  fellow,"  she  murmured  to  herself.  "  Why 
can't  he  take  a  '  no '  as  he  ought  ?  He  has  spoilt  our 
last  days  together  now,  and  has  made  me  feel  I  have 
spoken  brutally.  Still  he  was  distinctly  aggravating  to 
begin  the  old  story  again !  " 

She  leant  her  arms  on  the  old  bridge,  and  gazed  into 
the  clear  water  below. 


A   "SPOILT"    DAY 


"  He  is  such  a  pleasant  friend  and  such  an  unpleasant 
lover.  Oh,  dear  !  oh,  dear !  I  wish  we  could  be  boys 
and  girls  forever  !  " 

She  sighed,  then  retraced  her  steps  through  the 
meadow.  There  was  a  sweet  smell  of  spring  in  the  air, 
birds  were  carolling  their  hymns  of  jubilation  and  of 
love ;  in  the  meadow  beyond,  tiny  white  lambs  frisked 
by  the  side  of  their  solid  imperturbable  mothers,  and  a 
gentle  breeze  was  encouraging  the  timid  buds  of  green 
to  unfold  the  young  life  within  them,  and  blossom  out 
in  their  sunny  surroundings. 

Yet  somehow  or  other  the  joy  and  gladness  of  the 
spring  morning  seemed  already  gone  to  Olive.  It  was 
not  till  she  reached  the  garden  and  was  approaching  the 
house  that  she  gave  herself  a  little  impatient  shake,  and 
ran  in  with  her  usual  laughing  face.  For  the  next  half- 
hour  she  was  busy  in  the  kitchen  and  at  her  store  cup- 
board. Then  peeping  into  the  morning-room,  she  saw 
her  mother  seated  in  her  low  chair  reading  the  news- 
paper and  Elsie  at  her  davenport  writing  letters.  With 
light  feet  she  sped  upstairs,  and  pushed  open  a  door  at 
the  end  of  a  long  passage.  It  had  been  the  schoolroom 
of  the  family,  and  still  bore  that  name.  Not  a  luxuri- 
ously furnished  room,  and  yet  a  very  cheery  and  com- 
fortable one.  A  round  table  with  a  red  cloth  was  in  the 
centre  and  a  cage  with  bullfinches  upon  it.  Red  curtains 
and  a  faded  red  carpet  gave  perhaps  the  appearance  of 
warmth  that  seemed  to  pervade  the  room.  Pictures  of 
all  sorts,  sizes  and  shapes  adorned  the  walls.  A  couple 
of  glass  bookcases  in  two  recesses,  an  old  piano,  and  a 
couch  near  the  window — these  were  the  principal  articles 
of  furniture ;  but  on  the  couch,  reclining  against 


io  OLIVE   TRACY 

cushions,  lay  a  young  lad,  and  it  was  to  this  couch  that 
Olive  made  her  way. 

"  Well,  Diogenes,  old  boy,  you  have  had  an  early 
visitor  ?  " 

The  boy  turned  his  head  with  a  bright  smile  of  wel- 
come. His  face  was  a  remarkably  sweet  one :  pale  and 
oval,  with  close-cut  brown  hair  and  large  hazel  eyes,  and 
a  mouth  that  knew  how  to  smile  through  suffering. 
Humour  there  was  in  every  line  of  it ;  but  something 
deeper  and  sweeter  bore  its  impress  on  Osmond  Tracy's 
features. 

"  Come  along,  Oily.  Sit  down  ;  you  are  never  busy, 
you  know." 

"  Oh,  never,"  said  Olive,  smiling  and  touching  his 
brown  head  lightly  with  her  hand.  "  Now,  I  will  give 
you  half  an  hour,  and  then  I  have  to  write  an  important 
letter." 

"  That  is  to  Eddie,  I  bet,"  Osmond  said  quickly  ; 
u  has  the  young  beggar  been  worrying  you  again  ?  " 

"  A  nice  way  for  a  nephew  to  speak  of  his  respected 
uncle  ! " 

Olive  drew  up  an  old  wicker  chair  to  the  couch 
as  she  spoke,  and  sank  into  its  depths  with  a  satisfied 
sigh. 

Osmond  changed  the  subject. 

41 1  ought  to  feel  low,"  he  said  reflectively  ;  "  it  was 
like  a  bomb-shell  when  his  Grace  told  me  he  was  off  to 
Africa  next  week.  I  don't  believe  he  half  likes  it." 

"  Doesn't  he  ?  " 

"  Now,  my  dear  girl,  don't  round  your  lips  in  that 
fashion.  What  has  happened  between  you  ?  Something 
has,  I  know,  so  out  with  it." 


A   "SPOILT"    DAY  n 

Olive  shook  her  head  with  a  little  smile,  and  there 
was  silence  for  a  moment  or  two. 

Then  Osmond  spoke. 

"  He  has  come  to  close  quarters  again  ?  " 

"  Hush  !  It  is  no  good  talking  about  it.  He  has  an- 
noyed me  extremely." 

The  boy  looked  at  her  sympathetically,  then  gazed 
out  of  the  window  beyond  the  garden,  and  his  eyes  rested 
on  the  old  stone  bridge  in  the  distance. 

"  I  saw  you  together,  Oily,  and  I  knew." 

"  He  has  spoilt  my  day,"  said  Olive,  brushing  her 
hand  quickly  across  her  eyes,  as  tears  were  almost  on  the 
surface.  "I  came  down  this  morning,  Diogenes,  de- 
lighted with  myself  and  everybody.  I  felt  I  hadn't  a 
care  in  the  world,  and  then  comes  Eddie's  letter.  He 
must  come  home  next  week,  he  says,  and  it  means  that 
he  must  have  money,  and  that  I  am  determined  he  shall 
not  have  if  I  can  help  it.  It  is  his  ruination.  Well — 
I  would  not  let  it  depress  me — I  was  singing  away  to 
keep  my  spirits  up,  and  had  just  got  myself  back  to  my 
starting-point,  when  his  Grace  appeared  with  his  bit  of 
news.  I  could  have  borne  that  with  equanimity,  though 
of  course  we  shall  miss  him — you  most  of  all ;  but  when 
he  began  again  with  his  tragic  tone  and  big  eyes  and 
masterful  way,  it  really  seemed  the  last  straw.  I  was 
nasty  to  him,  of  course ;  and  he  walked  off  in  high 
dudgeon,  leaving  me  with  the  feeling  that  I  have  been 
to  blame,  and  must  try  and  patch  up  a  truce  when  next 
we  meet." 

"  I  wish  you  cared  for  him,"  Osmond  said  gravely. 

"  He  is  a  good  friend,  but  will  never  be  anything  more 
to  me." 


12  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  He  is  good  all  round,"  the  boy  said  warmly ;  "  a 
good  son  and  a  good  brother  would  be  certain  to  make  a 
good  husband." 

"  Too  good  for  me.  The  only  time  I  really  like  him 
is  when  he  gets  into  a  temper.  He  is  human  then." 

"  He  never  strikes  me  as  being  anything  but  human." 

"  He  is  getting  l  goody/  Diogenes.  I  have  had  my 
suspicions  for  some  time,  and  I  believe  you  have  been 
at  him.  I  have  a  horror  of  religious  officers.  The 
clergy  of  course  have  a  right  to  be  so,  but  soldiers  get 
so  red  hot  over  everything." 

"  You  prefer  one  of  Eddie's  sort." 

"  Poor  Eddie  !  But  how  irresistible  he  is  !  And  how 
irresponsible !  " 

She  laughed  a  little,  then  knitted  her  brows. 

"  No,  Eddie  is  not  radically  bad.  It  was  that  villain 
Mark  who  gave  him  these  extravagant  tastes  and  taught 
him  to  care  for  horse  racing  and  the  like.  I  always  feel 
that  Eddie  is  a  gentleman  by  nature,  and  will  not  do  any- 
thing to  disgrace  us ;  which  is  more  than  can  be  said  of 
Mark." 

"  Debt  is  not  very " 

"  Honourable  ?  Don't  be  afraid  of  speaking  out.  No, 
I  know  it  is  not,  but  men  in  cavalry  regiments  are  pretty 
much  alike  in  that  way  I  believe,  unless  they  are  really 
wealthy.  Of  course,  the  mistake  was  in  sending  Eddie 
into  the  cavalry ;  and  he  treats  the  whole  thing  at  pres- 
ent as  a  joke  !  His  one  idea  is  to  get  as  much  amuse- 
ment out  of  the  service  as  he  can  ! " 

Another  silence,  and  then  Osmond  said  brightly  : 

"  Pitch  into  him  when  he  comes,  he  always  says  that 
you  do  him  good." 


A   "SPOILT'     DAY  13 

"  Oh,  yes,  but  what  is  the  use  of  it  ?  He  makes  me 
laugh,  and  then  away  goes  all  my  wrath.  I  am  really 
anxious  about  him.  I  told  you  that  mother  is  continu- 
ally selling  out  her  capital.  It  doesn't  make  much  dif- 
ference to  us  now,  but  it  will  in  the  future,  and  Eddie 
has  no  right  to  take  the  money.  He  has  a  handsome  al- 
lowance, and  ought  to  find  it  sufficient." 

Olive  rose  from  her  seat  and  paced  the  room.  "  Well," 
she  said  presently,  with  a  clear  brow,  "lam  not  going 
to  bother  about  it  any  more  to-day.  I  shall  write  to  him 
and  beg  him  not  to  apply  for  more  leave  just  yet. 
Colonel  Holmes  wrote  very  strongly  to  mother  about 
him  only  last  week,  and  if  he  were  not  away  on  leave 
himself,  I  know  he  would  not  grant  it.  Have  you  a 
fresh  number  of  Punch^  Diogenes  ?  Let  me  have  a  look 
at  it.  We  must  laugh  or  else  we  die !  " 


CHAPTER  II 

"  TRY    TO    FORGET    ME  " 

Of  all  affliction  taught  a  lover  yet 

"Tis  sure  the  hardest  science  to  forget. — Pop 

TWENTY  years  before,  Mrs.  Tracy's  husband  had 
been  Dean  of  Blackenbury.  She  had  lived  in  the  same 
quiet  town  ever  since,  and  had  brought  up  her  family  of 
five  in  an  old-fashioned  gabled  cottage,  just  outside  the 
town.  Her  eldest  son  and  daughter  had  both  married 
when  very  young.  The  son  had  gone  into  the  Church ; 
was  offered  a  curacy  in  the  north  of  England,  and  mar- 
ried his  rector's  daughter  within  a  year.  The  young 
couple  were  having  a  holiday  tour  the  year  after,  when 
the  most  tragic  incident  occurred.  They  were  upset  on 
a  coach  trip,  the  curate  killed  instantaneously,  and  the 
young  wife  only  lived  for  twenty-four  hours,  to  give  birth 
to  a  son,  hopelessly  delicate  and  crippled. 

Mrs.  Tracy  took  the  little  creature  into  her  family  at 
once.  With  care  and  attention  the  boy's  health  wonder- 
fully improved  ;  but  he  was  condemned  to  a  couch  for 
life,  and  only  on  rare  occasions  could  he  be  lifted  into  a 
wheel  chair  and  taken  out  of  doors.  He  was  blessed 
with  undaunted  courage  and  humour,  and  in  spite  of  his 
isolation  from  the  outside  world,  had  learned  to  have 
wonderful  sympathy  and  consideration  for  all  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact.  He  was  a  receptacle  for  confidences 
of  all  kinds,  and  never  abused  his  trust.  His  quaint,  old- 


"TRY   TO   FORGET   ME" 


fashioned  sayings,  his  philosophical  way  of  viewing  life, 
had  earned  for  him  the  sobriquet  of "  Diogenes,"  and 
though  he  was  now  only  eighteen,  his  advice  was  gener- 
ally followed  by  his  young  aunts,  who  were  both  devoted 
to  him. 

Mrs.  Tracy's  eldest  daughter  Lavinia,  or  Vinny  as  she 
was  generally  called,  married  a  wealthy  barrister  when 
she  was  barely  seventeen.  The  marriage  had  not 
turned  out  a  happy  one.  She  had  no  children  to  com- 
fort her,  and  the  caprices  of  an  eccentric  and  fidgety 
husband,  many  years  her  senior,  soured  and  embittered  a 
naturally  placid  temper.  Vinny's  only  pleasure  was  in 
coming  home;  but  very  seldom  could  this  be  arranged, 
and  her  husband  disliked  any  of  her  relations  visiting  her. 

Olive  was  the  mainstay  at  home,  the  life  of  the 
house,  and  the  support  of  her  gentle,  and  perhaps  rather 
weak-minded  mother.  She  and  Elsie  were  very  different 
in  temperament :  Olive  all  fire  and  impatience,  quick 
tempered,  and  tender  hearted,  yet  hiding  her  depth  and 
tenderness  of  feeling  beneath  a  careless  exterior ;  Elsie  a 
sleepy,  dreamy  girl,  slow  in  thought  and  movement, 
living  her  life  alone,  and  spending  much  of  her  time  in 
reading  and  in  attending  the  cathedral  services.  She 
was  more  of  a  companion  to  her  mother  than  Olive 
was. 

Mrs.  Tracy  leaned  upon  Olive  for  advice  and  guid- 
ance, but  went  to  Elsie  with  all  her  little  confidences, 
feeling  that  Elsie  had  more  sympathy  and  consideration 
for  her  weaknesses. 

For  Mrs.  Tracy  had  two  hobbies  in  her  life,  which 
made  some  people  slightly  impatient  with  her.  One  of 
these  was  "  anniversaries." 


OLIVE   TRACY 


Every  death  that  had  occurred  in  her  family  was 
remembered  and  mourned  for  on  its  anniversary  ;  and 
each  day,  as  it  came  round,  was  set  apart  for  a  day  of 
grief. 

When  her  daughters  first  came  home  fresh  from  their 
boarding-school,  they  tried  in  vain  to  turn  their  mother's 
thoughts  into  other  channels. 

"You  make  yourself  and  every  one  in  the  house 
miserable,  mother,"  they  protested.  "  Why  need  you 
do  it  ?  There  can  be  no  comfort  in  it." 

But  Mrs.  Tracy  would  not  be  persuaded.  She  came 
down  in  the  morning  with  tears  near  the  surface.  She 
spent  most  of  the  day  in  looking  over  packets  of  letters 
and  papers  belonging  to  the  departed  one.  She  attended 
the  cathedral  in  the  afternoon,  and  wept  throughout  the 
service,  and  by  the  time  the  day  was  over  she  was  com- 
pletely exhausted  by  her  emotions.  The  following  day 
she  would  be  unable  to  rise,  and  her  faithful  maid, 
Margot,  who  had  been  with  her  for  over  thirty  years, 
would  have  hard  work  in  bringing  back  her  spirits  to 
their  normal  state. 

Mrs.  Tracy's  other  hobby  was  a  more  healthy  and 
natural  one.  This  was  an  intense  desire  to  keep  every- 
thing in  the  house  spotlessly  clean.  No  consideration 
was  ever  shown  a  maid  who  brought  any  silver  or  glass 
to  table  that  was  not  shining  as  brightly  as  when  first 
bought.  A  stain  or  spot  on  carpet  or  tablecloth  was  a 
real  trouble  to  Mrs.  Tracy.  She  spent  much  of  her 
time  in  wandering  over  the  house  with  a  soft,  silk 
duster  in  hand,  which  would  be  furtively  brought  to 
bear  upon  any  article  that  seemed  to  have  lost  its 
gloss.  Not  a  particle  of  dust  ever  escaped  her  keen  blue 


"TRY   TO   FORGET   ME"  17 

eyes.  And  though  the  result  throughout  the  house 
was  an  extremely  dainty  freshness,  it  was  obtained 
through  the  changing  of  many  maids,  and  a  loss  of 
several  good  ones. 

"  Mistress  was  born  an  old  maid,"  they  would  say  to 
each  other.  "  No  one  can  stand  her  fidgety  ways  !  " 

Olive  had  hard  work  sometimes  to  preserve  the  peace, 
and  Margot,  a  privileged  servant  of  old  standing,  did  not 
always  help  her. 

Margot  considered  the  world  was  indeed  waxing  very 
evil,  and  domestic  service  not  what  it  was  in  her  day. 
She  had  no  toleration  for  the  young,  and  her  continual 
fault-finding  in  the  kitchen  was  deeply  resented.  She 
had  no  very  high  opinion  of  Olive's  housekeeping,  and 
the  only  one  of  her  mistress's  children  that  she  really 
cared  for  was  Edmund,  his  mother's  pride  and  darling. 
He  could  do  no  wrong  in  Margot's  eyes.  "  Master 
Osmond  is  a  dear,  good,  young  gentleman,  but  a  cripple. 
Mr.  Edmund  is  as  handsome  and  bold  as  his  father,  and 
is  a  true  gentleman  that  will  carry  everything  before 
him."  Poor  Eddie  possessed  his  father's  good  looks  and 
bearing,  his  mother's  weakness  and  vacillation  of  char- 
acter. Olive  was  quite  right  when  she  said  he  ought 
not  to  be  in  a  cavalry  regiment. 

The  Tracys  had  many  friends,  and  amongst  them  one 
family  with  whom  they  were  more  than  usually  intimate. 

Sir  Marmaduke  Crofton  was  a  lifelong  friend  of  the 
Dean's,  and  it  was  partly  through  his  influence  that  the 
deanery  of  Blackenbury  was  offered  to  Canon  Tracy. 
The  young  Croftons,  Marmaduke  and  Mark,  had  been 
brought  up  from  childhood  in  close  companionship  with 
the  little  Tracys;  they  had  played  together,  had  learned 


1 8  OLIVE   TRACY 

together,  and  when  they  were  girls  and  boys  no  longer, 
the  old,  familiar  footing  was  still  the  same. 

No  two  brothers  could  have  had  more  widely  differ- 
ent tastes.  When  quite  a  boy,  Mark  had  longed  for  a 
seafaring  life,  and  later  on  his  parents  bitterly  regretted 
that  they  had  so  opposed  his  wishes.  He  grew  up  a 
restless,  excitable  youth,  would  not  settle  to  any  profes- 
sion, and  spent  most  of  his  time  amongst  grooms  and 
jockeys.  He  was  a  good  horseman,  and  that  seemed 
his  only  accomplishment.  From  always  being  in  the 
society  of  those  beneath  him  in  station,  he  adopted  a 
swaggering,  bullying  tone  that  proved  most  offensive  to 
his  parents'  friends.  In  an  unfortunate  hour  Eddie,  who 
had  just  left  school  and  was  studying  at  an  army  cram- 
mer's, was  thrown  across  his  path,  and  Mark  had  soon 
the  most  extraordinary  influence  over  him.  Eddie 
learned  to  race,  bet  and  gamble,  and  having  imbibed 
these  and  other  vicious  tastes  he  barely  escaped  plucking 
in  his  last  exam,  for  Woolwich,  and  was  now  a  con- 
stant source  of  anxiety  to  his  family. 

At  last  Mark  got  into  serious  trouble  in  a  low  gaming- 
house in  the  town,  and  his  father  in  despair  sent  him  off 
to  the  Cape,  there  to  farm  up  country  under  the  super- 
intendence of  a  distant  cousin.  For  some  time  he  seemed 
to  stick  to  his  work,  then  came  complaints  from  his 
cousin,  and  finally  the  news  that  Mark  had  left  him,  and 
started  ostrich  farming  on  his  own  account  with  two 
young  fellows  who  did  not  bear  the  best  of  characters : 
since  which  time  his  only  letters  home  had  been  to  beg 
for  money.  Sir  Marmaduke  helped  him  to  the  best  of 
his  ability,  but  a  sudden  stroke  of  paralysis  so  enfeebled 
him  in  mind  and  body  that  all  business  arrangements 


"TRY   TO    FORGET   ME"  19 

had  to  be  conducted  by  his  wife.  And  Lady  Crofton 
found  it  hard  to  refuse  Mark  anything.  He  was  her 
favourite  son,  though  she  would  not  allow  it;  and  when 
at  length  she  began  to  feel  it  impossible  to  continue  to 
comply  with  his  requests,  she  took  Marmaduke  into  her 
confidence  and  together  they  arranged  that  he  should  go 
out  to  his  battery  there.  Marmaduke  had  been  at  home 
some  time  on  sick  leave,  for  he  had  contracted  a  fever 
whilst  on  a  trip  abroad  with  a  brother  officer,  and  was 
long  in  shaking  off  the  ill  effects  of  it. 

Consequently,  finding  the  time  hang  heavily  on  his 
hands  and  not  having  much  to  interest  him  at  home,  he 
had  been  a  constant  visitor  at  the  Tracys.  Osmond  had 
benefited  much  by  his  society.  Marmaduke  discovered 
that  the  boy  was  suffering  from  an  interrupted  and 
desultory  education,  bemoaning  his  lack  of  knowledge 
and  yet  hardly  knowing  how  to  remedy  it.  In  spite  of 
being  a  keen  soldier,  Marmaduke  had  scholarly  tastes, 
and  he  commenced  a  course  of  reading  with  Osmond 
that  was  much  enjoyed  by  both  of  them.  The  girls 
laughed  at  the  "  book  worms,"  as  they  called  them,  but 
Olive,  who  had  often  deplored  the  scanty  teaching  that 
Osmond  had  received,  encouraged  the  idea,  and  would 
often  make  a  third  in  their  literary  conversations.  She 
had  always  looked  upon  Marmaduke  as  a  brother,  and 
was  very  much  perturbed  when  she  first  became  aware 
that  his  feelings  were  widely  different  to  hers.  But 
hardly  understanding  the  depths  of  those  feelings  after 
the  first  awakening,  she  had  forbidden  him  ever  to  men- 
tion the  subject  again  to  her,  and  they  had  mutually 
agreed  to  go  back  to  the  old  boy  and  girl  friendship  that 
had  always  existed  between  them. 


20  OLIVE   TRACY 

It  was  a  wet  afternoon,  and  Osmond  Tracy  and  the 
two  girls  were  enjoying  a  merry  chat  over  their  tea  in 
the  schoolroom.  Afternoon  tea  was  generally  brought 
there,  and  Osmond  enjoyed  the  gathering  as  much  as 
any  one.  Mrs.  Tracy  was  resting  in  her  room  after  a 
drive,  and  Margot  had  taken  her  a  cup  of  tea  there. 

Olive  was  giving  Osmond  a  laughable  account  of 
some  visits  she  had  been  paying  with  her  mother,  and 
she  was  telling  him  in  an  injured  tone  of  a  conversation 
she  had  overheard  unintentionally. 

"  I  cannot  get  on  with  the  eldest  Miss  Tracy,"  Norah 
Berry  said  plaintively  ;  "  she  always  looks  as  if  she  is 
laughing  at  you.  I  do  dislike  people  that  see  hidden 
jokes  in  everything." — "  Yes,  she  cannot  talk  sensibly  ; 
but,  my  dear,  it  only  shows  how  vapid  and  shallow  her 
mind  is.  It  is  the  youngest  Miss  Tracy  that  has  most 
in  her.  Don't  you  like  her  ?  "  — "  Ye — s,  when  she  talks 
at  all,  but  that  is  so  seldom."  So  then  I  turned  round, 
and  they  looked  awfully  foolish. 

"  What  did  you  say  ?  "  asked  Elsie. 

"  Oh,  I  laughed  and  walked  away ;  it  is  good  to  hear 
opinions  of  oneself  sometimes.  You  must  live  up  to  your 
reputation,  Elsie.  Your  silence  is  worth  its  weight  in  gold." 

Elsie  was  kneeling  in  the  wicker-chair  ;  her  elbows 
upon  the  window  ledge,  and  her  gaze  upon  the  dripping 
trees  in  the  garden. 

"  I  do  hate  social  calls,"  she  said  dreamily ;  "  and 
here  every  one  knows  your  own  business  better  than  you 
do  yourself.  If  I  go  out  with  mother  she  does  all  the 
talking.  She  always  knows  the  right  thing  to  say  to 
everybody.  Oh,  how  I  loathe  a  country  town  !  It  is 
mere  existence — stagnation — I  am  heartily  sick  of  it." 


"TRY   TO   FORGET    ME"  21 

She  turned  round  with  vehemence  at  the  end  of  her 
speech. 

Osmond  looked  at  her  critically. 

"  Wasting  your  sweetness  on  the  desert  air.  Never 
mind,  Elsie,  you'll  end  by  marrying  some  old  city  money- 
grubber,  and  he  will  give  you  a  house  in  Belgravia. 
Why  don't  you  ask  Vinny  to  have  you  up  for  a  visit  and 
introduce  you  to  some  one  who  hates  the  country  as 
much  as  you  do  ?  " 

"  Poor  Vinny  !  Her  one  desire  is  to  bury  herself  in 
the  heart  of  the  country,  away  from  every  sight  and 
sound.  It  is  a  pity  you  can't  change  places;  but  people 
seldom  find  their  circumstances  suit  them." 

Olive  spoke  in  a  philosophical  tone.  She  was  seated 
at  a  low  table  drawn  up  to  Osmond's  couch,  and  was 
dispensing  tea  and  hot  buttered  toast,  with  her  usual 
cheerfulness. 

44  Life  is  a  puzzle,"  said  Osmond  thoughtfully. 
"  Every  one  with  different  needs,  and  those  needs  often 
stifled  by  force  of  circumstances." 

44  The  doctors  say,  '  Life  is  according  to  the  liver  ! ' 
said  Olive  flippantly. 

"  Oh,  you  can  take  life  easily,"  said  Elsie,  a  little  im- 
patiently ;  "  you  have  no  unfulfilled  longings.  I  don't 
believe  you  have  any  longings  at  all." 

44  Perhaps  I  have  not,"  said  Olive,  sipping  her  tea 
meditatively  ;  "  I  take  things  as  I  find  them,  and  if  I 
don't  like  them,  try  to  better  them.  I  think  that  is  my 
role  in  life,  but  I  am  not  sure." 

44 1  wish  I  could  content  myself  with  such  an  exist- 
ence." 

There  was  quiet  scorn  in  Elsie's  tone.     The  sisters 


22  OLIVE   TRACY 

seldom  agreed  on  any  point,  but  it  did  not  mar  their 
affection  for  each  other ;  which  affection,  though  never 
demonstrative,  was  nevertheless  very  real  and  deep. 

"  Oily  will  have  the  happiest  life,"  remarked  Osmond. 

"  Why,  Diogenes  ?  " 

"  Because  it  isn't  such  a  self-centred  one  as  yours." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Elsie  lazily ;  "  but  I  doubt  that 
statement.  Olive  will  wake  up  one  day  to  find  there 
are  other  things  in  life  besides  ordering  dinners  and  mend- 
ing table  linen,  and  keeping  a  household  in  good  order. 
Then  she  will  wonder  at  her  contentment  in  such  a 
narrow  sphere.  It  is  only  irresponsible,  careless  crea- 
tures like  children  and  animals  who  have  a  happy  life." 

"  Which  heading  do  I  come  under  ?  "  asked  Osmond, 
pulling  a  comical  face  of  dismay. 

"  Oh,  you  !    You  needn't  pretend  that  you  are  happy." 

"  No,  I  won't  pretend." 

"  My  dear  Elsie,"  said  Olive,  in  her  most  grandmoth- 
erly tone,  "you  are  crude  and  immature  in  your  state- 
ments. You  are  discontented  and  view  things  crook- 
edly. Wait  till  real  trouble  comes  upon  you,  then  you 
will  look  back  to  these  days  and  wonder  you  were  so 
foolish !  " 

"  What  do  you  think  makes  a  person  happy  ?  "  asked 
Osmond. 

"  I've  told  you  what  I  think  already,"  said  Olive  de- 
cidedly. "  My  view  is  the  doctors' :  Good  health  and 
good  digestion." 

"  Being  conscious  that  you  are  on  the  road  to  satisfac- 
tion," said  Elsie. 

"  Well,  now,  I'll  tell  you  my  view,  as  I  see  it.  Hav- 
ing a  sure  foundation  J  " 


"TRY   TO    FORGET   ME"  23 

"I  don't  see  how  that  applies." 

"  Well,  look  here,  Elsie  is  a  creature  of  circum- 
stances, isn't  she  ?  And  she  always  will  be  till  she  gets 
something  in  her  life  that  will  make  her  independent  of 
them.  Winds  of  adversity,  storms  of  seething  trouble 
will  make  shipwreck  of  any  life,  if  it  has  not  some- 
thing to  steady  it  beneath  the  wind  and  waves." 

"  Oh,  you  are  getting  into  a  preach,  Diogenes,"  said 
Olive  with  a  shake  of  her  head.  "  Now,  look  at  me. 
I  am  very  happy  without  any  foundation." 

"  Exactly,"  said  Elsie.  "  You  acknowledge  that  you 
are  living  a  mere  animal  life.  I  wonder  that  you  are 
not  ashamed  of  yourself.  Don't  preach  to  me  about  be- 
ing crude  and  immature." 

Osmond  lay  back  among  his  cushions  with  a  wistful 
look  on  his  fair  young  face. 

"  I  wish  a  little  breeze  would  have  warned  that  fellow 
who  had  an  insecure  foundation  to  his  house.  It  seems 
so  awful  not  to  wake  up  to  your  position  till  the  final 
crash.  And  yet  I  suppose  there  isn't  a  living  soul  on 
earth  that  has  not  been  warned  again  and  again." 

There  was  a  little  silence.  Osmond  went  on  in  a  low 
voice. 

"  It  is  so  grand  to  feel  that  storms  may  come  and 
storms  may  go,  but  nothing  can  wrench  you  from  your 
anchor.  No  uncertainty,  no  upheaval ;  deep  down,  al- 
ways the  same,  sure,  certain  rest." 

"  I'm  not  in  want  of  rest  at  present,"  said  Olive  with 
her  merry  laugh;  "I'm  not  tired  enough." 

"  Nor  I,"  said  Elsie  ;  "  but  not  because  of  my  pres- 
ent lot.  It  is  too  much  rest.  I  want  to  move,  to  wake, 
to  live  !  " 


24  OLIVE   TRACY 

"Well,  why  don't  you  do  it?"  said  Olive  sharply. 
"  I  suppose  you  think  it  impossible  to  do  anything  but 
sleep  at  present.  Now,  here  am  I  in  the  same  circum- 
stances and  very  wide  awake — awake  to  my  finger 
tips." 

"You  both  want  a  shake,"  said  Osmond  smiling. 

'4Not  I,"  responded  Olive  with  a  toss  of  her  head. 

"  Yes,  you  especially  ;  for  you  are  on  the  sand,  and 
you  are  building  away  happily  and  mechanically,  without 
a  thought  for  the  future.  You  are  choosing  your  mate- 
rials well ;  your  bricks  and  stones  and  mortar  are  almost 
without  reproach  ;  your  mortar  crumbles  away  occasion- 
ally, and  a  stone  or  two  comes  down,  but  those  are 
accidents.  You  remedy  them  and  go  cheerfully  on." 

"  You  are  sounding  rather  priggish,"  said  Olive,  put- 
ting down  her  cup  of  tea  with  a  little  clatter. 

"  And  what  am  I  doing  ?  "  asked  Elsie,  smiling  at  her 
sister's  evident  discomfiture. 

"  Oh,  you  are  grumbling  at  your  materials  and  look- 
ing at  every  one's  site  but  your  own  :  and  waiting  for  a 
suitable  site  and  a  suitable  day,  and  better  bricks  and 
bigger  stones.  You  haven't  begun  to  build  at  all  yet." 

"  Thank  you.  And  your  tower  of  course  is  above  the 
clouds  already  ?  " 

"I'm  afraid  I  haven't  got  beyond  my  foundation 
stone.  Sometimes  I  hope  I  have,  but  I  am  a  slow  and 
faulty  workman." 

"  Sum  total,"  said  Elsie,  counting  off  on  her  fingers, 
"  Diogenes  has  a  foundation  without  a  building,  Olive  a 
building  without  a  foundation,  and  I  have  neither  the 
one  nor  the  other.  As  usual,  I  come  off"  the  worst  in 
such  statistics." 


"TRY   TO   FORGET   ME"  25 

"  May  I  come  in  ?  "  asked  a  voice  at  the  door. 

"  Why,  it  is  his  Grace  !  "  exclaimed  Osmond  cheerily. 
u  Come  in,  old  chap.  We  did  not  hear  you  were  back 
from  town." 

Marmaduke  stepped  in,  nodded  to  the  boy  and  shook 
hands  with  the  girls,  then  sat  on  the  end  of  Osmond's 
couch,  and  gave  a  little  sigh  of  content  as  he  did  so.  He 
was  never  so  much  at  home  anywhere  as  in  this  old 
schoolroom,  and  everything  in  it  was  dear  to  his  eyes. 
It  was  already  getting  dusk  ;  a  small  fire  was  flickering 
in  the  grate  and  softly  touching  Olive's  hair  with  a  ruddy 
glow.  She  was  leaning  back  in  her  chair,  with  clasped 
hands  behind  her  head,  when  he  entered  ;  but  now  she 
was  rather  nervously  rattling  the  cups  aud  saucers  on 
the  tea-tray  and  talking  very  hard  as  she  did  so. 

"  We  began  our  tea  in  an  easy-going,  chatty  style  ; 
we  finished  it  in  gloomy  forebodings  of  the  future,  and  a 
general  feeling  of  insecurity  all  around.  So  we  are  re- 
lieved to  see  a  fresh  comer.  Diogenes  is  in  his  most 
solemn  mood  at  present."  Then  turning  to  Osmond 
she  added  with  sparkling  eyes  :  "  Now  talk  to  his  Grace, 
and  tell  us  about  his  building.  Has  he  begun  ?  What 
kind  of  materials  is  he  using  ?  Is  he  in  want  of  a  good 
storm  to  bring  him  with  a  crash  to  the  ground  ?  That 
is  my  fate,  and  I  hope  some  else  will  share  it,  or  perhaps 
he  and  Elsie  are  in  the  same  position.  They  are  so  par- 
ticular in  what  and  how  they  build,  that  they  will  never 
begin  at  all  !  " 

"  We  were  giving  each  other  our  definition  of  a  happy 
life,"  said  Osmond.  "  Let  us  have  his  Grace's  idea  on 
the  subject." 

Marmaduke  looked  out  from  his  dark  corner  upon  the 


26  OLIVE   TRACY 

fresh  faces  before  him.  He  was  tired  in  body  and  spirit, 
and  now  again  in  Olive's  presence  he  felt  it  would  have 
been  better  had  he  kept  away.  She  seemed  indifferent 
and  unconscious  of  his  feelings,  but  he  was  hungrily 
storing  up  in  his  mind  every  detail  of  her  neat  little  fig- 
ure and  dress,  every  tone  and  laugh,  the  mischievous 
sparkle  in  her  eyes,  and  the  wilful  curves  to  her  lips,  all 
to  be  brought  out  before  his  vision  when  the  broad 
ocean  rolled  between  them  and  he  was  thousands  of 
miles  away. 

She  still  wore  a  bunch  of  daffodils  in  her  belt;  it  was 
her  favourite  spring  flower,  and  every  now  and  then  she 
fingered  them  lovingly.  He  glanced  from  her  sunny 
brown  head  to  Elsie's  smooth  fair  one.  Elsie  was  more 
strictly  beautiful  than  her  sister,  her  features  were  more 
regular,  but  she  lacked  the  animation  that  was  Olive's 
chief  charm,  and  her  face  in  repose  was  somewhat  cold. 

Osmond  had  once  said  to  Marmaduke  of  the  girls — 
"  Olive's  soul  is  more  transparent  than  Elsie's,  she  is 
thinner  skinned." 

And  he  felt  now  that  it  was  true,  only  he  wished  that 
Olive's  soul  would  show  some  feeling  for  his  departure, 
some  of  the  wistful  gravity  that  occasionally  appeared 
when  something  or  some  one  had  excited  her  pity  and 
sympathy. 

"  A  happy  life  !  "  he  repeated  slowly.  "  It  is  a  big 
subject.  I  should  say  it  is  when  the  inner  life  is  adjusted 
so  satisfactorily,  that  it  gives  one  no  trouble,  and  there  is 
time  and  opportunity  to  spend  the  outer  one  for  others." 

u  Oh,"  groaned  Elsie,  "  worse  and  worse  !  You  and 
Diogenes  are  a  pair !  " 

u  It  is  easy  to  compose  a  grand  and  noble  definition," 


"TRY   TO   FORGET   ME"  27 

said  Olive,  u  the  dictionary  will  do  that.  I  am  thankful 
that  I  shall  never  be  able  to  speak  in  such  a  superior 
bookish  way.  Let  us  change  the  subject.  When  do  you 
sail,  your  Grace  ?  " 

"  The  day  after  to-morrow.  I  have  only  come  home 
to  say  good-bye." 

"  We  shall  miss  you  awfully,"  Osmond  said. 

There  was  a  little  silence ;  then  Elsie  began  to  ask 
questions  about  the  Cape,  and  Olive  took  advantage  to 
slip  quietly  out  of  the  room. 

Half  an  hour  later,  she  was  waylaid  in  the  hall  by 
Marmaduke.  She  was  bending  over  a  lamp,  and  turning 
the  wick  up  to  give  a  brighter  light,  when  she  heard  his 
voice  close  to  her. 

"  Olive,  I  was  ashamed  of  myself  the  other  day.  I 
had  no  right  to  worry  you  again.  Will  you  assure  me  of 
your  forgiveness  before  I  go  away  ?  " 

"  What  about  ?  "  said  Olive  in  a  careless  tone.  "  Oh, 
I  remember !  You  need  not  apologise,  it  is  all  right. 
Shall  we  see  you  again  before  you  go  ? " 

"No." 

The  word  was  abruptly  spoken. 

Olive  had  a  soft  duster  in  her  hand,  and  she  dusted  her 
lamp,  as  if  it  had  never  been  dusted  before. 

He  stood  in  silence  watching  her ;  a  man  with  twice 
the  power  and  character  of  the  young  girl  before  him, 
yet  feeling  in  her  presence  the  greatest  sense  of  inferior- 
ity and  diffidence. 

She  turned  at  last,  and  there  was  a  little  defiance  in 
her  tone. 

"  You  mustn't  let  us  keep  you  longer ;  your  mother 
will  want  every  bit  of  your  time  that  she  can  have." 


28  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  You  will  go  and  see  her  when  I  am  gone,  will  you 
not  ?  She  is  always  so  glad  to  see  you,  and  she  was 
saying  you  had  not  been  lately." 

"  Lady  Crofton  and  I  are  very  good  friends,"  said 
Olive,  tucking  her  duster  into  a  table  drawer,  with 
averted  face.  Then  with  a  little  effort  she  faced  him, 
and  held  her  head  rather  proudly  as  she  put  out  her 
hand. 

"  Good-bye,  and  all  good  wishes  for  your  voyage." 

He  took  her  hand  and  held  it  with  a  quickly  caught 
breath. 

"  Give  me  one  kind  word,  Olive,  before  we  part  ?  " 

In  a  flash  Olive  seemed  to  see  that  this  was  no  time 
for  pretentious  pride  or  reticence.  Her  whole  face 
softened,  the  sweet  wistful  gravity  that  Marmaduke  saw 
so  seldom  and  loved  so  much,  stole  into  her  eyes,  and 
the  real  true  woman  for  one  moment  showed  herself. 

"You  must  try  to  forget  me,  Duke." 

She  rarely  addressed  him  by  his  Christian  name, 
always  using  the  nickname  he  had  received  from  her  in 
early  childhood. 

It  thrilled  him  now,  through  and  through. 

He  raised  her  hand  to  his  lips  passionately  and 
kissed  it. 

Then  pulling  himself  together  with  an  effort,  he  said 
huskily  :  "  God  bless  and  keep  you,  darling,  and  bring 
us  together  again  one  day.  Auf  wieder  sehn  !  " 

And  then  he  went  without  another  word,  and  Olive 
stood  in  the  hall,  dazed  and  bewildered  at  the  sudden 
rush  of  feeling  that  swept  into  her  heart  and  soul. 

She  crept  up  to  her  room,  and  opening  the  window 
watched  him  make  his  way  down  the  garden  and  across 


"TRY  TO   FORGET  ME" 29 

the  meadows— the  shortest  cut  to  Crofton  Court.  Then 
the  full  realisation  of  what  she  had  done  came  across 
her,  and  throwing  herself  down  on  her  knees  by  her  bed, 
she  buried  her  face  in  her  hands  and  burst  into  passionate 
weeping. 

For  Olive  knew  her  own  heart  at  last  when  too  late, 
and  she  sobbed  out  in  despair,  "  I  do  believe  I  love  him 
after  all ! " 


CHAPTER  III 

"  BORN    WITHOUT    A    BACKBONE  " 

And  all  men  loved  him  for  his  modest  grace 
And  comeliness  of  figure  and  face. — Longfellvw. 

"  WELL,  mater,  here  is  your  scapegrace  son  !  What ! 
didn't  you  expect  me  ?  I  wrote  last  week." 

"Yes,  but  I  thought  after  what  Olive  said  in  her 
letter  to  you,  that  you  might  not  come.  I  am  very  glad 
to  see  you,  dear  boy  ;  you  need  not  wish  me  to  assure 
you  of  that !  " 

Eddie  had  marched  in  unexpectedly  one  afternoon 
when  both  his  sisters  were  out.  His  mother  welcomed 
him  very  warmly,  but  rather  nervously.  Only  that 
morning  Olive  and  she  had  been  examining  her  banking 
account,  and  found  that  she  had  already  overdrawn  for 
the  quarter.  Mrs.  Tracy  had  never  been  able  to  live 
within  her  means,  and  had  lately  been  finding  it  more 
difficult  than  ever.  Money  had  a  way  of  slipping 
through  her  fingers  in  a  most  unaccountable  fashion,  but 
it  never  distressed  her  for  long.  It  was  only  when  she 
was  forced  to  deny  herself  or  her  children  anything,  that 
it  affected  her  usual  placid  demeanour. 

As  Eddie  threw  himself  full  length  on  the  couch  in 
the  morning  room,  and  turned  his  fair  handsome  face 
towards  his  mother,  her  heart  smote  her  that  she  could 
not  shower  upon  him  all  that  he  desired.  Was  there 
ever  such  a  generous,  affectionate  boy  r  A  boy  who,  in 

3° 


"BORN  WITHOUT  A  BACKBONE"   31 

spite  of  his  great  popularity  in  his  regiment  and  in  garri- 
son society,  was  never  so  happy  as  when  at  home.  His 
winning,  confiding  tones,  his  merry  laugh,  his  careless 
indifference  when  in  his  home  to  anything  outside  it,  his 
genial  kindness  to  all  below  him  in  station ;  all  these 
traits  endeared  him  to  those  who  knew  him,  and  to  his 
mother  in  particular. 

At  last  came  the  usual  question  from  Mrs.  Tracy  : 
"  How  are  you  getting  on  in  your  regiment,  Eddie  ?  " 
The  boy  laughed,  and   began   tossing   his  signet  ring 
into  the  air. 

u  Best  not  ask,  mater.  I'm  an  awfully  unlucky  fel- 
low. I'm  sure  there  isn't  a  soul  on  earth  that  means 
better,  and — and  does  worse  !  Old  Holmes  follows  up 
his  advantage  of  being  a  friend  of  the  family  by  coming 
down  on  me  like  a  sledge  hammer  on  the  slightest  pre- 
text. By  the  way,  I  must  tell  you  a  good  story.  I 
changed  my  servant  about  a  couple  of  months  ago,  and 
I  have  a  chap  who  worships  the  ground  I  tread  on.  I 
happened  to  get  an  act  of  injustice  righted,  of  which  he 

was  the  victim,  and  he'd  go  to  the  very  d beg  pardon 

— er — well  he'd  cut  off  his  hand  if  I  asked  for  it — 
that  sort,  you  know.  The  other  day  old  Holmes  sent  a 
summons  for  me ;  there  were  two  or  three  of  us  having 
a  game  of  whist  together,  and  I  was  riled,  so  I  turned  on 
Giles — my  servant,  you  know — 4  Tell  the  colonel  his 
last  dose  was  too  strong,  and  I  can't  take  another  on 
top  of  it  just  yet.'  '  Yessir,'  says  Giles,  and  away 
he  bolted.  i  He'll  repeat  that  in  dead  earnest,'  said  one 
of  the  fellows,  and  I  laughed,  for  I  didn't  think  he  was 
quite  a  fool.  Sure  enough,  the  chap  goes  straight  into 
the  ante-room  of  the  mess,  where  he  finds  the  colonel. 


32  OLIVE   TRACY 

Bobby  Cray  was  there,  and  he  told  me  Giles'  mind  mis- 
gave him  when  he  met  the  colonel's  eagle  eye.  l  A  mes- 
sage from  Mr.  Tracy,  sir.'  4Yes?'  says  old  Holmes, 
looking  as  if  he  could  eat  him.  Giles  looks  hot  and 
perturbed.  *  Please,  sir,  the  physic  you  sent  him  didn't 
agree  with  him,  sir,  and  he  can't  drink  no  more,  sir, 
please  at  present,  sir ! '  " 

Mrs.  Tracy  looked  quite  scandalised,  and  her  son 
chuckled. 

"  My  dear  Eddie,  your  colonel !  " 

"  Well,  was  it  my  fault,  mater  ?  I  walked  into  Giles 
well  when  I  found  him  out,  but,  I  can  tell  you,  it's  the 
latest  joke  in  barracks,  and  my  4  physic '  has  been  down 
all  the  fellows'  throats.  Old  Holmes  had  the  gumption 
to  let  it  pass.  Don't  you  let  on  if  I  tell  you,  but  he  is 
dead  nuts  on  Olive,  and  her  brother  gets  some  of  her 
reflected  glory,  otherwise  there  might  have  been  no  end 
of  a  row." 

"  I  think  Olive  rather  likes  him,"  said  Mrs.  Tracy 
meditatively.  "  And  perhaps,  if  it  did  come  to  anything, 
it  might  be  a  good  thing  for  you." 

"  It  might,  and  it  mightn't.  I  think  I  would  rather 
the  old  fellow  was  kept  in  a  bit  of  uncertainty  and  sus- 
pense. It  makes  him  monstrous  civil  to  me." 

"  I  am  glad,"  Mrs.  Tracy  said  hesitatingly,  "  that 
you  are  getting  on  well.  I  was  afraid  from  your 
letter " 

Eddie  made  a  comical  grimace  at  her,  then  thrust  his 
hand  in  his  pocket  and  drew  out  a  sheaf  of  bills. 

"  Just  look  at  these  !  I  thought  I'd  bring  them  to 
you  in  case  you  might  be  able  to  help  me  through  any 
of  them.  The  beggars  won't  wait,  and  threaten  to  ap- 


"BORN  WITHOUT  A  BACKBONE"   33 

peal  to  old  Holmes.  It  is  scandalous — the  way  they  re- 
fuse to  trust  the  word  of  a  gentleman !  " 

Mrs.  Tracy  put  on  her  glasses,  and  in  an  agitated 
manner  took  up  some  of  the  bills  to  look  at  them. 

"  My  dear  Eddie,"  she  said,  "  these  are  dated  two 
years  ago,  when  first  you  joined  your  regiment.  I 
thought  we  had  settled  all  those ;  there  must  be  some 
mistake." 

Eddie  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  I  can't  say.  Who  can  possibly  remember  that  time 
off?  If  they  haven't  the  gumption  to  get  their  money 
at  the  time  they  ought  to,  I  can't  help  it." 

"  It  is  no  use  my  looking  at  them,"  said  Mrs.  Tracy, 
with  a  little  sigh,  "  for  I  have  no  money  in  hand.  I  can 
do  nothing  more  this  quarter." 

Eddie's  face  fell,  then  it  brightened. 

"  Look  here,  mater.  This  is  the  tip.  You  write  a 
note  to  one  or  two  of  the  nastiest  of  them  and  tell  them 
you  will  be  responsible,  and  will  send  them  what  is  due 
within  the  next  week  or  two.  That  will  quiet  them,  I 
fancy." 

Mrs.  Tracy  looked  dubious ;  she  knew  better  than 
her  son  that  she  was  already  behindhand  with  her  own  quar- 
ter's bills,  but  she  had  not  the  strength  of  mind  to  say  so. 

"  You  can  leave  them  with  me,"  she  said  at  length, 
"  and  I  will  see  what  I  can  do." 

Then  she  added  nervously  : 

"  You  need  not  mention  the  matter  to  Olive." 

Eddie  laughed. 

"  Olive  keeps  the  purse,  does  she  ?  She  ought  to  be 
the  head  of  the  family.  Ah  !  talk  of  her,  and  here  she 
comes ! " 


34  OLIVE   TRACY 

Olive  came  in,  her  hands  full  of  primroses,  and  her 
face  radiant. 

"  Oh,  Eddie,  you  naughty  boy  !  And  I  told  you  to 
stay  away.  How  long  have  you  been  here  ?  " 

A  little  later  and  they  were  gathered  in  the  school- 
room for  tea,  Mrs.  Tracy  in  the  most  comfortable  chair, 
her  eyes  glistening  with  pleasure  as  they  rested  on  her 
son,  and  she  listened  to  his  light-hearted  badinage.  And 
then  in  the  midst  of  much  chatter  the  door  opened,  and 
"Lady  Muriel"  was  announced.  A  sweet-faced  girl 
with  pale  golden  hair  and  delicate  complexion  presented 
herself,  and  was  seized  upon  at  once  by  Olive. 

"Why,  Dot !  home  again  ?     When  did  you  come  ?  " 

"  Last  night,  and  I'm  so  tired  of  being  a  tourist. 
What  is  Eddie  doing  here  ?  " 

"  It  isn't  desertion,"  he  responded,  drawing  up  a  chair 
with  great  deference  to  the  newcomer,  and  seating  him- 
self as  near  her  as  he  conveniently  could. 

"  His  colonel  is  away  or  he  wouldn't  have  had  leave," 
said  Olive  quietly. 

Lady  Muriel  laughed. 

"  We  are  both  in  the  same  box.  My  father  hurried 
back  to  some  committee  dinner  in  town,  so  I  came  off 
here  at  once.  Mrs.  Tracy,  will  you  keep  me  to  dinner  ? 
I  am  so  dull  at  home." 

"  My  dear  Dot,  you  know  we  shall  be  delighted." 

"  And  I  will  see  you  home,"  said  Eddie,  trying  to  re- 
strain the  eagerness  in  his  tone. 

"  Thank  you,  but  I  told  them  to  send  the  carriage  if 
I  did  not  turn  up  in  time  for  dinner." 

Eddie's  face  fell,  and  Elsie  remarked  in  her  slow 
way : 


"BORN  WITHOUT  A  BACKBONE"      35 

"  Eddie  thinks  his  society  would  fully  compensate  for 
a  muddy  walk  of  three  miles  through  pitch  dark  lanes." 

"  Eddie  is  very  good  company,"  said  Lady  Muriel 
smiling. 

"  Yes,  I  really  think  I  am,"  he  replied  modestly.  "  I 
would  be  ashamed  of  myself  if  I  could  not  lead  a  lady's 
thoughts  away  from  any  outward  inconveniences,  and 
make  her  forget  all  but " 

"  My  presence  and  personality,"  put  in  Osmond,  a 
little  drily. 

Lady  Muriel  laughed,  showing  two  bewitching  dimples 
as  she  did  so ;  but  she  turned  the  conversation,  and 
Eddie,  leaning  back  in  his  chair,  never  took  his  eyes  off 
her. 

It  was  an  old  story  now.  Lady  Muriel  had  come  to 
the  neighbourhood  when  she  was  a  fair,  delicate  child  of 
thirteen,  and  Eddie,  a  schoolboy  home  for  the  holidays, 
two  years  her  senior,  had  fallen  desperately  in  love  at 
first  sight.  Lord  Bannister  was  a  traveller  and  scholar. 
He  lost  his  wife  when  his  little  daughter  was  nine  years 
old,  and  he  persisted  in  undertaking  her  education  him- 
self, for  he  would  not  let  her  out  of  his  sight. 

"  Father,"  said  the  child  one  day  as  she  sat  sur- 
rounded by  books  in  the  library,  and  was  being  instructed 
in  Egyptian  history,  "  I  read  of  these  places,  and  I  see 
them  on  paper  maps ;  but  I  shall  never  remember  any- 
thing you  tell  me  about  them  till  I  have  been  to  them 
myself,  and  touched  them  with  my  feet  and  hands." 

Lord  Bannister  told  an  old  friend  of  his  that  that  was 
the  happiest  moment  in  his  existence.  "  I  knew  then 
that  we  should  be  companions  for  life,  and  I  said  to  her : 
1  Dot,  we  will  start  for  Egypt  to-morrow.' " 


36  OLIVE   TRACY 

So  Muriel's  education  was  a  joy  instead  of  a  torture, 
and  being  an  intelligent  child  with  keen  observation  and 
retentive  memory,  she  proved,  as  her  father  anticipated, 
a  delightful  companion  in  all  his  travels.  She  learned  the 
beauties  of  art  in  Italy,  music  took  her  to  Germany, 
Paris  gave  her  the  true  Parisian  accent,  and  perhaps  the 
grace  and  beauty  in  dress  and  manners  that  many  a  so- 
ciety woman  envied.  Yet,  like  her  father,  her  heart  was 
in  the  ancient  past,  and  wandering  through  Palestine, 
Egypt  and  amongst  all  the  ruined  cities  of  Assyria  and 
Babylon,  gave  her  the  keenest  delight  and  satisfied  her 
soul. 

When  she  was  nineteen  her  mother's  relations  inter- 
fered, and  by  dint  of  much  exhortation  and  persuasion 
were  the  means  of  establishing  the  girl  and  her  father  at 
Blackenbury  Manor. 

For  a  time  Lord  Bannister's  restless  wanderings  were 
stayed.  He  entertained  and  began  to  take  interest  in  his 
county  and  in  its  sport.  But  it  was  not  long  before  he 
carried  off  his  daughter  on  a  tour  through  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  they  had  only  just  returned  to  the 
Manor.  Eddie  only  saw  his  divinity  at  rare  intervals, 
and  perhaps  the  rarity  of  these  added  zest  to  his  boyish 
devotion.  Muriel  herself  laughed  at  him,  but  was  a  de- 
voted admirer  of  Olive's,  and  the  motherless  girl  never 
felt  so  truly  at  home  as  when  she  was  under  Mrs. 
Tracy's  wing.  She  made  few  friends,  but  the  friendships 
she  made  she  kept,  and  the  Tracys  occupied  a  large 
place  in  her  affections. 

She  stayed  to  dinner,  and  Eddie  was  the  hero  of  the 
hour.  Never  had  he  shown  such  brilliancy  in  conversa- 
tion, such  aptitude  in  smart  repartee  and  racy  anecdotes. 


"BORN  WITHOUT  A  BACKBONE"      37 

When  they  adjourned  to  the  drawing-room  afterwards, 
he  brought  out  an  old  banjo,  and,  having  given  them 
several  regimental  ditties,  insisted  upon  every  one  con- 
tributing their  share  to  the  music.  Olive  sang,  Elsie 
played  the  violin,  and  then  Muriel  was  persuaded  to  sit 
down  at  the  piano.  Her  playing  was  like  herself,  deli- 
cate, pure  and  sparkling,  with  fitful  gleams  of  light  and 
shade.  She  played  on  dreamily,  and  a  hush  seemed  to 
fall  upon  the  little  group.  When  the  last  notes  had 
died  away,  Eddie  gave  a  sigh,  then  stood  with  his  back 
to  the  fireplace  and  said  thoughtfully  : 

"I  feel  quite  wistful  after  good  things  now.  Or,  like 
some  one  I  know,  4 1  have  a  yearning  after  the  impos- 
sible, a  vision  of  the  mighty  might  be's  ! ' 

"  I  wish  your  wistful  yearnings  would  bear  fruit," 
said  Olive. 

"  I  don't  think  it  is  his  nature  to  yearn  after  any- 
thing," Elsie  said  in  her  calm  matter  of  fact  fashion. 

"  Say  a  kind  word  for  me,  Dot." 

"  Indeed,  I  will,  for  you  have  paid  my  poor  playing 
a  great  compliment.  To  incite  longings  after  something 
good  is  grand.  Now  you  must  do  the  something 
grander." 

"Yes?" 

"  Reach  the  goal  you  aim  at." 

"  But  I'm  afraid  I  have  no  aim." 

"If  you  have  discovered  that,  it  is  more  than  many 
have." 

"  And  the  summing  up  of  Dot's  sermon  is : 

"  1st.     Find  out  that  you  are  aiming  at  nothing. 

"  ad.     Aim  at  something. 

"  3d.     Never  rest  short  of  success." 


38  OLIVE   TRACY 

It  was  Elsie  who  spoke,  and  with  a  comical  shrug  of 
his  shoulders  Eddie  said  : 

"  Do  you  know,  Dot,  I  am  sure  I  have  the  makings 
of  a  great  man  in  my  composition.  Marks  of  genius 
are  stamped  upon  my  brow.  Otherwise,  why  should 
every  mortal  creature  I  come  across  seize  upon  me  as  a 
good  subject  for  their  persuasions,  their  remonstrances, 
their  lectures,  their  sermons !  I  am  convinced  they 
must  say  l  here  is  a  youth  who  has  the  makings  of  a  very 
bad  man,  or  a  very  good  one.  There  is  nothing  little  or 
small  in  his  nature.  Intensity  is  impressed  on  every 
line  of  his  features.  To  me  it  may  be  given  to  be  the 
turning  point  in  his  existence,  the  pivot  on  which  a 
world  of  unknown  possibilities  may  revolve.'  And  then 
of  course  their  zest  is  fired,  and  they  set  to  work.  It  is 
hard  lines  on  the  poor  subject  though  !  " 

"  The  l  subject '  is  getting  too  egotistical,"  said  Olive, 
and  then  the  carriage  came  for  Muriel,  and  she  took  her 
departure,  Eddie  accompanying  her  to  the  hall  door  with 
every  attention. 

Half  an  hour  later  Olive  had  retired  to  her  bedroom. 
She  was  sitting  on  her  low  window  seat  gazing  absently 
out  into  the  still  and  darkened  garden,  when  Eddie  ap- 
peared at  the  door  asking  admittance.  Olive  drew  her- 
self together  and  made  room  for  him  at  the  window. 
She  knew  too  well  what  this  visit  portended. 

"  Come,"  she  said  laughing,  as  she  met  his  rather  hesi- 
tating gaze;  "you  and  I  never  beat  about  the  bush,  Eddie, 
so  make  a  clean  breast  of  it.  What  is  it  you  want  ?  " 

Eddie  shook  his  head  despondently  as  he  sank  into  a 
cushioned  wicker  chair  opposite  her,  and  plunged  his 
hands  into  his  pockets. 


"BORN  WITHOUT  A  BACKBONE"      39 

"  I'm  certain  I  was  born  under  an  unlucky  star.  On 
my  honour,  Olive,  I  do  my  little  best  to  get  on  like  most 
of  the  other  fellows,  but  I'm  always  down  in  my  luck. 
I  want  a  couple  of  hundred  more  per  annum,  and  that's 
a  fact." 

"  Well,  I  have  heard  all  this  before,  come  to  the 
point.  Is  it  your  quarter's  bills  ?  " 

"  No,  those  are  a  small  item ;  it  is  a — a  debt  of 
honour." 

"  Oh  !  "  and  Olive's  tone  was  dry.  "  You  have  been 
gambling  again.  How  much  ?  " 

"  It  would  be  a  mere  bagatelle  to  the  other  fellows," 
said  Eddie  a  little  nervously  ;  "  but  I  can't  scrape  it 
together.  Only  fifty  pounds." 

"  Have  you  told  mother  ? " 

"No,  I  never  worry  her  with  this  kind  of  thing;  my 
small  bills  are  bad  enough." 

Then  Olive  got  up  from  her  seat  and  paced  the  room 
with  knitted  brow.  Eddie  took  out  a  cigarette,  lit  it, 
and  put  it  into  his  mouth  murmuring,  "  You  don't  object 
to  smoke.  It  will  sustain  me,  for  I  see  I  am  in  for  a 
bad  quarter  of  an  hour." 

At  last  Olive  turned  upon  him  with  flashing  eyes. 
She  stood  over  him  in  her  simple  white  evening  dress, 
the  row  of  pearls  round  her  white  throat  rising  and  fall- 
ing with  the  quick  beating  of  her  heart.  She  looked  like  a 
beautiful  angel  of  judgment  and  wrath,  and  Eddie, 
though  a  little  awed,  audaciously  muttered,  "  If  Holmes 
could  see  you  now,  he'd  give  me  a  week's  leave  on  the 
spot !  " 

"When  is  it  going  to  stop?"  she  demanded.  "Do 
you  ever  sit  down  and  calmly  face  the  future  ?  Do  you 


40  OLIVE   TRACY 

realise  that  we  are  suffering  now,  and  shall  suffer  still 
more  by-and-by,  for  your  extravagance  and  folly  ? 
Mother  will  give  you  her  last  penny,  and  you  know  it. 
Does  it  never  shame  you,  that  you,  her  only  son,  who 
should  be  her  support  and  mainstay,  are  gradually  re- 
ducing her,  and  all  belonging  to  her,  to  poverty  and  des- 
titution ?  You  have  an  affection  for  your  home^  and  yet 
you  haven't  the  pluck  and  grit  to  economise,  and  relieve 
us  of  this  perpetual  strain  and  anxiety  !  " 

"  Nothing  like  hitting  a  poor  beggar  when  he  is  down," 
said  Eddie  a  little  shamefacedly. 

"  But  you  are  not  down,"  said  Olive  impetuously  ;  "I 
wish  I  could  see  you  so.  You  take  it  all  as  a  matter  of 
course.  You  get  into  debt,  and  come  running  home  to 
squeeze  the  money  out  of  us,  and  carry  all  before  you 
as  carelessly  and  indifferently  as  if  we  were  millionaires. 
You  are  a  little  bit  ashamed  of  yourself  now ;  but  you 
will  go  back  to  barracks  to-morrow  with  your  fifty  pounds 
in  your  pocket,  and  begin  your  gambling  with  fresh  zeal. 
I  dread  to  look  forward  to  your  future.  You  are  a  mere 
boy  now.  What  will  you  be  like  ten  or  twenty  years 
hence  ?  Debt  may  lead  you  into  worse  crimes,  and  you 
will  end  by  breaking  mother's  heart,  and  bringing  ruin  to 
yourself  and  the  whole  lot  of  us !  " 

Eddie  rose  from  his  seat  impatiently. 

"  Oh,  cut  your  preach  short !  "  he  said,  "  you  know 
nothing  of  a  soldier's  life,  or  you  wouldn't  talk  so !  I 
own  I  am  a  bit  of  a  fool,  but  I  am  not  a  criminal,  and 
no  worse  than  fifty  other  chaps.  It  was  a  crying  shame 
to  put  me  into  the  cavalry  with  such  a  mean  allowance." 

"Then  be  a  man,  pay  up  your  debts,  and  come  out 
of  it.  Go  into  the  line." 


"BORN  WITHOUT  A  BACKBONE"      41 

"  The  line  !  " 

Eddie's  face  was  a  picture  of  disgust.  Then  he  said, 
with  that  winning  frankness  that  his  sister  found  so  irre- 
sistible : 

"  Come,  old  girl,  I'll  admit  I'm  to  blame.  I  don't 
know  how  it  is,  upon  my  honour,  I  don't,  for  I  am  sure 
my  life  is  a  constant  struggle  to  keep  my  head  above 
water.  I  think  I  was  born  without  a  backbone.  You 
have  told  me  so  before,  I  believe;  I  wish  you  would 
give  me  an  artificial  one !  There  are  times  when  I 
actually  envy  Osmond,  poor  chap,  and  think  it  would  be 
a  good  thing  if  I  broke  my  back  out  steeple-chasing.  At 
all  events,  in  that  case  if  I  were  to  become  an  encum- 
brance, I  shouldn't  be  what  you  consider  me  now.  Do 
you  remember  the  Assyrian  coming  down  like  *  a  wolf  on 
the  fold  '  ?  A  picture  of  the  hopeful  son  and  heir,  isn't 
it  ?  You're  a  good  hand  at  condemning,  but  you  never 
point  out  a  remedy.  You  fling  my  *  nature '  in  my 
teeth.  Have  you  no  stronger  force  that  you  can  recom- 
mend to  overcome  it  ?  " 

"  You  have  a  will  of  your  own,"  said  Olive  more 
gently.  "Why  don't  you  exercise  it,  and  stamp  out 
these  expensive  tastes  before  they  get  complete  mastery 
over  you  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  I  have  a  will  of  my  own,"  said  Eddie, 
the  twinkle  coming  into  his  blue  eyes.  "  I'm  such  a 
good-natured  fellow  that  I  give  it  away  gratis  to  the  first 
one  who  combats  for  it.  I  want  to  live  at  peace  with 
every  one." 

"  You  have  no  speck  of  moral  courage  in  your  com- 
position." 

"  What  is  that  article  ?     Define  it." 


42  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  I  won't  be  drawn  into  an  argument.  You  know 
what  I  mean." 

"  Well,"  said  Eddie,  with  a  heavy  yawn,  "  I  can  only 
say,  in  the  old  style,  that  I'll  make  a  fresh  start  and  do 
the  best  with  the  little  that  has  been  given  me.  A  fel- 
low with  no  pluck,  no  grit,  no  backbone,  no  moral 
courage  and  no  money  is  heavily  handicapped,  I  con- 
sider. Now,  where  is  the  fifty  to  come  from  ?  And 
then  I'm  off  to  bed." 

There  was  a  hopeless  despondency  in  Eddie's  tone 
that  touched  his  sister's  warm  heart. 

She  put  her  hand  on  his  shoulder. 

"  I  don't  mean  half  I  say,  Eddie,  so  cheer  up !  I  be- 
lieve in  your  truth  and  honour,  only  you  are  so  young 
that  I  can't  bear  to  see  you  drift  on  without  any  effort  to 
save  yourself." 

"I'm  a  swimmer  in  a  strong  current,"  said  Eddie; 
"  it  has  got  the  better  of  me,  and  all  you  can  do  is  to 
stand  on  the  bank  and  tell  me  to  make  an  effort.  You 
don't  fling  me  a  rope  or  give  me  anything  to  catch 
hold  of." 

Olive  looked  at  her  brother  in  a  puzzled  way.  He 
sometimes  said  things  that  were  beyond  her  comprehen- 
sion, and  made  her  feel  her  helplessness  in  dealing  with 
him.  He  laughed  lightly  as  he  caught  her  look. 

"  Never  mind,  old  girl,  I  haven't  gone  under  yet.  I'll 
make  another  effort.  The  question  is,  Can  you  help 
me  ?  If  not,  there  is  the  money-lender." 

Olive  dreaded  this  suggestion  above  all  others. 

"  I  can  help  you  this  time,"  she  said  hastily,  "  but  it 
will  have  to  be  the  last.  I  have  just  fifty  left  from  that 
hundred  that  came  from  my  godmother.  But  Eddie,  I 


"BORN  WITHOUT  A  BACKBONE"   43 

really  mean  it.  You  will  ruin  us  all  if  you  go  on  in 
this  way.  As  it  is,  mother  is  selling  out  her  capital,  and 
what  shall  we  do  when  it  is  gone  ?  " 

"  Get  married,"  said  Eddie  with  an  uncomfortable 
laugh. 

Olive  turned  upon  him  scornfully,  but  he  stopped  her 
speech  by  a  kiss. 

"You're  a  trump,  Olive.  Now  I  am  going  to  bed 
with  the  past  in  oblivion,  and  the  future  full  of  good 
resolutions." 

He  disappeared,  and  Olive  sank  down  on  her  window 
seat  again  with  a  heavy  sigh. 


CHAPTER  IV 

A    HUSBAND    IS    PART    OF    ONE'S    SOUL 

But  I  remained,  whose  hopes  were  dim, 

Whose  life,  whose  thoughts  were  little  worth, 
To  wander  on  a  darken'd  earth, 

Where  all  things  round  me  breathed  of  him. 

— In  Memoriam. 

IT  was  no  new  thing  for  Olive  to  spend  some  of  the 
early  night  hours  on  her  window  seat  in  thought.  With 
a  laugh  on  her  lips  and  a  joyous  ring  in  her  voice  she 
met  all  her  difficulties  and  cares  in  the  daytime,  putting 
them  resolutely  aside  till  she  had  silence  and  leisure  to 
dispose  of  them  when  the  rest  of  the  household  was 
wrapped  in  sleep.  Hers  was  not  a  morbid  nature.  She 
had  described  her  mode  of  life  very  aptly,  when  she 
said  that  she  took  things  as  she  found  them  ;  and  if  she 
did  not  like  them  she  tried  to  better  them.  But  it  was 
this  "  trying  to  better  them  "  that  robbed  her  of  her 
early  sleep  and  brought  fine  wrinkles  to  her  brow. 

As  Eddie  closed  the  door  behind  him,  she  mused 
somewhat  in  this  style  : 

"  Well,  he  is  settled  now  till  next  time,  and  I  shall 
not  trouble  about  him  any  more.  It  is  lucky  I  have  the 
money  to  give  him,  poor  boy  !  But  it  will  be  the  last  I 
can  do.  He  is  a  strange  mixture  of  fun  and  seriousness. 
I  don't  believe  he  is  so  irresponsible  as  he  seems.  What 
did  he  mean  by  a  rope  ?  What  is  it  he  is  needing  that 
I  cannot  give  him  ?  He  made  me  feel  almost  helpless 

44 


A   PART   OF   ONE'S   SOUL  45 

when  he  talked  so,  for  talk  as  I  will,  I  can  see  no 
remedy  for  him !  He  lacks  the  grit  to  pull  himself 
together ;  how  can  I  give  it  to  him ?  I  suppose 
Diogenes  would  say  religion  would  do  it,  but  a  boy's  na- 
ture can't  be  altered,  and  I  don't  think  religion  has  much 
effect  on  such  characters  as  his.  It  is  all  right  for 
Diogenes,  but  then  his  circumstances  are  so  different. 
Religion  is  a  good  thing  when  you've  nothing  else,  when 
all  that  one  naturally  cares  for  is  swept  away.  And  of 
course  it  is  a  splendid  thing  for  him  !  " 

She  moved  restlessly  up  and  down  the  room ;  then 
opened  the  window,  and  her  thoughts  left  Eddie  and 
went  to  the  one  who  was  now  on  the  sea. 

She  went  over  in  thought  every  detail  of  his  last  visit, 
and  a  sentence  of  his  that  had  haunted  her,  now  flashed 
in  full  force  across  her  mind.  "  A  happy  life  :  I  should 
say — When  the  inner  life  is  adjusted  so  satisfactorily  that 
it  gives  one  no  trouble,  and  there  is  time  and  opportunity 
to  spend  the  outer  one  for  others." 

"I  wonder,"  she  said  to  herself,  as  she  leant  her 
arms  on  the  window  sill  and  gazed  out  into  the  still 
moonlit  garden;  "  I  wonder  what  he  meant  by  the  '  inner 
life '  ?  What  is  mine  ?  I  think  I  have  plenty  of  time 
and  opportunity  to  spend  the  outer  one  for  others.  That 
is  my  life  at  present,  and  I  would  not  have  it  otherwise. 
I  cannot  imagine  a  life  apart  from  mother  and  all  her 
little  worries ;  the  servants;  Eddie;  keeping  Elsie  con- 
tent ;  and  managing  all  round.  It  keeps  me  busy  and 
happy.  I  could  not  be  without  outside  interests.  Yet, 
if  it  should  all  be.  swept  away  from  me,  where  should  I 
be  ?  My  individual  life,  my  ego — what  is  it  like  ?  Ah, 
I  daren't  think  of  it  !  It  is  a  blank,  except — one  name 


46 OLIVE   TRACY 

woven  into  my  heart  strings :  I  will  not,  must  not,  think 
of  him.  I  have  made  a  mistake  which  will  be  the 
mistake  of  my  life  if  it  is  not  righted.  And  can  I  hope 
it  will  be  ?  Oh,  Duke,  Duke,  why  did  I  send  you 
away  so ! " 

A  quick,  dry  sob,  and  then  resolutely  the  girl  closed 
the  window,  and  wished  she  could  close  her  thoughts  as 
easily. 

In  bed  she  buried  her  hot  cheeks  in  her  pillows. 

"  I  love  him,  I  love  him ;  and  I  can  never  tell  him  so 
now." 

Sleep  came  to  her,  and  with  it  the  boon  of  forgetful- 
ness. 

Eddie  went  back  to  barracks ;  his  mother,  aided  by 
Olive,  scraped  and  saved  to  satisfy  some  of  his  most 
urgent  creditors,  and  life  went  on  smoothly  again.  Yet 
Olive  began  to  feel  her  little  home  worries  chafe  her 
spirit  in  a  way  that  they  never  had  before. 

She  came  into  the  schoolroom  one  morning  at  twelve 
o'clock  with  hot  cheeks  and  a  ruffled  air.  "  Diogenes, 
I  am  struggling  with  circumstances  this  morning. 
Everything  has  gone  wrong.  So  I  am  going  to  sit  in 
your  presence  for  ten  whole  minutes,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  I  expect  to  find  myself  perfectly  cured." 

"  There  is  nothing  like  talking  one's  troubles  over," 
said  Osmond,  closing  a  book  which  he  was  reading,  and 
looking  up  with  his  usual  bright  smile. 

"  To  begin  with,  to-day  is  the  twelfth,  the  anniversary 
of  father's  death." 

Osmond  gave  a  low  whistle  of  comprehension. 

"  Of  course,  mother  came  down  this  morning  in  the 
deepest  woe.  She  hasn't  been  very  well  the  last  few 


A    PART   OF   ONE'S   SOUL  47 

days,  and  she  looks  a  veritable  ghost  to-day.  I  tried  to 
keep  the  breakfast  table  cheerful,  but  Elsie  was  like  a 
lump  of  lead.  Then  mother  stated  her  intention  of 
driving  to  the  cemetery  this  afternoon  in  our  trap.  I 
told  her  it  was  madness  in  this  showery  weather.  There 
was  a  regular  hailstorm  an  hour  ago,  and  I  urged  her  to 
have  a  close  fly.  She  said  she  was  sure  it  was  because 
I  did  not  want  to  drive  her ;  that  she  must  economise  ; 
and  that  she  could  not  afford  to  hire  a  carriage  for  such 
a  distance  ;  she  said  we  had  no  feeling,  etc.,  and  ended 
by  leaving  the  table  in  tears,  having  hardly  touched  her 
breakfast.  I  went  down  to  the  kitchen  ;  Fanny  met  me 
on  the  way  and  gave  warning.  She  says  she  cannot 
stand  M argot's  interference  any  longer,  and  cook  told 
me  that  Fanny  was  crying  half  the  night,  because  she 
4  liked  the  family  and  wished  to  stay,  but  couldn't  give 
satisfaction.'  Mother  scolded  her  yesterday  for  not 
keeping  her  brasses  better,  and  Margot  followed  up  the 
occasion,  as  she  always  does.  I  talked  to  Fanny  and 
made  her  promise  not  to  be  so  silly ;  then  the  butcher 
leaves  a  note  with  '  immediate'  written  on  it.  I  couldn't 
disturb  mother,  so  I  opened  it,  and  found  it  was  for  an 
immediate  settlement  of  his  account,  as  he  was  in 
money  difficulties.  I  am  sure  his  difficulties  are  nothing 
to  ours,  and  it  has  been  running  on  so  long,  that  I  know 
we  owe  him  a  pretty  heavy  amount." 

"  What  have  you  done  ?  "  asked  Osmond. 

"  Oh,  I  sent  him  a  very  polite  reply,  saying  that 
mother  was  not  very  well,  but  I  would  refer  the  matter 
to  her  as  soon  as  I  could.  I  know  there  isn't  a  chance 
of  our  paying  it  for  another  month,  if  then  !  " 

"  I  can't  think,"  said  Osmond  gravely,  "  why  we  can- 


48  OLIVE   TRACY 

not  economise  a  little.  There  is  nothing  more  wearing 
than  perpetually  living  beyond  one's  income.  Couldn't 
we  take  a  smaller  house,  do  with  fewer  servants,  and 
cut  off  the  pony  and  trap  !  Oh,  if  only  I  were  not 
such  an  encumbrance  !  " 

"  Now,  Diogenes,  don't  be  so  stupid  !  You  know 
your  £80  a  year  makes  you  anything  but  an  encum- 
brance. If  I  had  that  income  of  my  own,  I  should 
revel  in  my  independence.  No,  try  as  much  as  I  can, 
we  cannot  economise.  Mother  will  not,  so  there  is  an 
end  to  it.  And  if  it  were  not  for  Eddie  we  should  have 
no  need  to  do  anything  of  the  sort.  We  have  wandered 
from  the  point.  Where  was  I  ?  Oh,  I  know  !  Well, 
I  sent  my  note  to  the  butcher;  then  came  a  message 
from  Lady  Crofton,  who  wishes  me  to  go  to  see  her  this 
afternoon.  I  can't  do  it  if  I  drive  with  mother,  and 
Elsie  won't  go  to  the  cemetery  ;  she  says  she  cannot 
stand  it." 

"  Couldn't  you  go  to  Lady  Crofton  on  the  way 
back  ? " 

"  I'm  afraid  not,  and  I  hate  to  disappoint  her.  It  is 
the  more  tiresome  because  I'm  convinced  mother  will 
get  a  thorough  chill,  and  lay  herself  up  this  stormy 
weather." 

"  Well  ? " 

"  I  think  that  is  the  end  of  my  woes  at  present. 
They're  not  very  great,  are  they  ?  " 

Olive  was  laughing  now,  and  she  turned  to  greet 
Elsie,  who  was  entering  the  room  with  a  scared  face, 
rather  mischievously  : 

"  Come  in,  Mother  Mumps,"  as  Eddie  would  say, 
"  What  is  the  matter  ?  " 


A   PART   OF   ONE'S   SOUL  49 

"  Mother  has  had  a  telegram." 

"  Well  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  what  it  is.  Margot  and  she  are  shut 
up  together." 

"You  needn't  think  at  once  that  it  must  be  something 
dreadful.  If  it  was,  we  should  have  been  sent  for.  Ah, 
here  is  Margot ;  now  we  shall  hear  !  " 

"  Mrs.  Stanton  is  coming  to  stay  fora  bit,"  said  Mar- 
got  imperturbably. 

"  Vinny  !  "  exclaimed  Elsie,  brightening  up  at  once. 
"  Oh,  I  am  glad  !  When  ?  " 

"This  afternoon.  She  hopes  to  arrive  by  the  six 
train.  The  mistress  says  she  cannot  see  her  to-day, 
Miss  Olive,  so  you  must  explain,  and  excuse  her  pres- 
ence at  the  dinner  table." 

Margot  disappeared,  closing  the  door  after  her  as  sud- 
denly and  quietly  as  she  had  opened  it. 

"  Margot  gets  grander  in  her  speech  every  day,"  re- 
marked Olive.  "  Well,  I  am  glad  the  telegram  is  no 
worse.  I  always  think  of  Eddie  when  one  comes. 
Now  I  must  be  off  to  see  to  the  spare  room.  Elsie,  will 
you  meet  her  ?  I  shall  hardly  manage  it.  I  do  wish  she 
hadn't  chosen  to-day  to  come." 

Olive  slipped  out  of  the  room,  and  Elsie  seated  herself 
on  the  low  window  seat  by  Osmond's  couch.  A  pink 
colour  had  come  into  her  cheeks ;  she  leant  out  of  the 
window,  and  picked  a  spray  of  jasmine  and  tucked  it  in 
her  belt,  humming  a  little  air  as  she  did  so. 

"  I  wonder,"  said  Osmond  meditatively,  "  why  Vinny 
is  coming  so  suddenly  ?  When  last  we  heard  from  her 
she  said  she  was  going  abroad,  and  would  not  see  us  till 
the  middle  of  summer." 


50 OLIVE   TRACY 

"  Perhaps  Randolph  is  going  off  alone.  He  is  so 
eccentric  that  one  never  knows  what  his  plans  may  be. 
Oh,  if  I  were  Vinny,  how  differently  I  would  use  my 
chances  ! " 

Elsie's  tone  was  fierce  with  passion.  Turning  to 
Osmond  she  exclaimed  :  "  How  I  hate  my  life  !  nar- 
row, stilted,  cramped,  and  she  comes  down  here  be- 
wailing hers  !  " 

"  Well,  what  would  you  do  if  you  were  in  her  shoes  ?  " 

"  I  would  fill  my  empty  soul.     I  would  begin  to  live." 

It  was  not  often  that   Elsie's  sleepy  exterior  showed 

the  passion  that  dwelt  within.     Osmond  wisely  showed 

no  surprise,  but  drew  her  on. 

"  What  would  you  fill  your  soul  with  ?  " 
"With  everything  that  Vinny  scorns — music,  art, 
society,  literature.  I  would,  as  the  Americans  say,  l  do  ' 
London,  but  I  would  not  skim  the  surface.  I  would 
mix  among  all  classes ;  I  would  be  a  unit  in  every  clique. 
I  would  inhale  and  drink  to  intoxication  of  all  that  I 
could  get.  I  would  make  friends  with  those  I  only  hear 
of  through  the  newspapers.  I  would  listen  and  listen 
until  I  was  able  to  take  part  in  it  all,  and  I  would  never 
rest  till  I  was  in  the  centre  of  an  ever-moving,  living, 
growing  life." 

"  It  sounds  full,"  said  Osmond  quietly,  "  but  it  isn't 
full  enough  for  an  immortal  soul." 

u  Oh,  don't  preach  Diogenes  !  I  know  it  would 
satisfy  me.  You  say  I  haven't  begun  to  '  build,'  as  you 
call  it,  yet.  What  can  I  build  in  this  sleepy,  little, 
cathedral  town  ?  It  may  sound  conceited  to  say  it,  but 
I  feel  I  have  powers  in  me  that  are  wasting.  I  cannot 
be  content  with  these  everlasting  afternoon  teas  and 


A    PART   OF   ONE'S   SOUL  51 

musical  evenings,  where  every  one  says  the  same  thing, 
and  hasn't  an  idea  outside  their  own  little  cathedral 
sphere.  I  sometimes  almost  wish  to  be  a  Dissenter  to 
shock  them." 

"You  talk  of  building.  It  is  the  old  tale  of  being 
without  straw,  and  yet  told  to  make  bricks.  Now,  you're 
looking  very  wise,  so  out  with  it." 

"  I  was  thinking  that  if  circumstances  may  hinder 
building,  no  circumstances,  however  adverse  they  may 
be,  can  hinder  the  foundation  stone  being  laid.  That  is 
ready  made  and  complete  in  itself." 

"  Then  what  has  to  be  done  to  it  ?  " 

"  It  needs  to  be  put  in  its  place." 

"  Diogenes,  you  go  too  far  beneath  the  surface.  I 
don't  understand  such  things." 

Elsie's  eager,  animated  look  died  away ;  her  emotions 
were  spent,  and  perhaps  ashamed  of  having  given  vent 
to  them,  she  sank  back  into  her  usual  impassive  lethargy. 
Osmond  wisely  turned  the  subject,  and  if  he  had  been 
shown  a  little  glimpse  of  Elsie's  inner  life  that  morning, 
with  the  troubled  depths  below  the  surface,  neither  by 
word  or  sign  did  he  reveal  it  to  any  one. 

At  two  o'clock  that  afternoon  Olive  started  with  her 
mother  in  the  pony  trap  for  the  cemetery.  As  Mrs. 
Tracy  took  her  seat,  Margot  put  into  her  lap  an  open 
basket  with  an  exquisite  wreath  of  lilies  and  maidenhair 
fern.  Olive's  quick  eyes  noted  that  it  had  been  made  by 
the  most  expensive  florist  in  the  town,  and  she  sighed  as 
she  thought  how  impossible  it  seemed  to  economise.  Yet, 
with  her  usual  philosophical  way  of  taking  things,  she 
chatted  cheerily  to  her  mother  as  they  drove  along,  and 
would  not  allow  that  sad  silence  that  Mrs.  Tracy  usually 


52  OLIVE    TRACY 

adopted  on  such  occasions.  The  sky  above  still  looked 
dark  and  threatening  ;  yet,  as  they  gradually  left  the 
town  and  drove  through  sweet  hawthorn-scented  lanes, 
the  air  seemed  to  clear,  and  when  they  reached  the 
cemetery  gates  the  heavy  clouds  had  rolled  away  and  the 
sun  was  shining  brightly.  Leaving  the  trap  in  the  charge 
of  the  porter  at  the  lodge,  Olive  assisted  her  mother 
along  the  gravelled  paths,  passing  rows  of  white  tomb- 
stones and  grassy  mounds  lying  still  and  silent  amongst 
the  fresh,  budding  green  around  them.  Olive  was  silent 
now.  She  was  always  peculiarly  susceptible  to  the 
soothing  influences  of  nature.  She  had  no  sad  associa- 
tions with  her  present  surroundings.  Her  recollections 
of  her  father  were  vague  and  shadowy,  for  he  had  died 
when  she  was  quite  a  tiny  child.  She  noted  the  daisies 
springing  up  on  the  well-kept  turf;  the  sweet,  spring 
flowers  planted  by  loving,  sorrowing  friends  ;  and  through 
the  young,  green  foliage  of  the  larches,  laburnums  and 
acacias,  she  caught  a  distant  view  of  the  winding  river, 
with  the  wooded  heights  on  the  farther  side.  Her 
thoughts  left  her  mother  and  fled  to  South  Africa.  Had 
he  landed  yet  ?  Did  Lady  Crofton  want  to  show  her 
his  first  letter  home  ?  Would  he  come  back  with  the 
same  desire  that  he  took  away  with  him  ?  Would  he  give 
her  one  more  chance  ?  If  so,  what  would  her  answer 
be  ?  The  girl's  soul  thrilled  within  her  as  she  tried  to 
picture  that  scene.  And  then  with  a  start  she  heard  a 
low  sob  from  her  mother,  and  found  that  they  had 
reached  her  father's  grave,  and  Mrs.  Tracy,  having 
placed  her  wreath  lovingly  and  reverently  below  the 
marble  cross,  was  now  looking  at  it  with  a  tense,  heart- 
breaking gaze. 


A    PART   OF   ONE'S   SOUL  53 

Olive  drew  back  a  step  or  two ;  she  almost  felt  as  if 
she  were  an  intruder,  but  she  need  not  have  feared,  for 
Mrs.  Tracy  was  perfectly  oblivious  of  her  presence. 

She  stood  there,  a  gentle,  fragile,  little  woman  in 
widow's  weeds,  her  hands  tremblingly  resting  on  the 
iron  rail  that  enclosed  the  grave ;  the  sun  threw  a  soft, 
golden  radiance  on  her  grey  hair  and  sweet,  tear-dimmed 
eyes,  and  she  murmured  over  to  herself  the  words  under- 
neath the  cross : 

Until  the  day  break  and  the  shadows  flee  away. 

As  Olive  looked  at  her  a  sudden  wave  of  sympathy 
and  pity  swept  over  her. 

"  Mother,"  she  said  gently,  "  I  never  knew  him,  I 
wish  I  had." 

Mrs.  Tracy  looked  at  her  daughter,  standing  there  in 
the  spring  of  her  glad  youth  and  beauty,  and  then  she 
laid  her  hand  on  her  arm. 

"  Olive,"  she  said  in  calm,  hushed  tones,  "  it  is  not 
only  himself  that  lies  here,  but  the  best  part  of  me." 

Olive  was  silent.  The  experience  of  her  own  heart 
was  teaching  her  to  understand  her  mother  better  now 
than  she  had  ever  done  before. 

Mrs.  Tracy's  voice  trembled  with  suppressed  feeling 
as  she  went  on : 

"Not  one  of  my  children  remember  him,  most  of  his 
contemporaries  have  passed  away,  and  the  few  who  are 
left  have  forgotten  his  existence.  I  only  live  on — 
daughters  may  be  a  comfort,  sons  a  support,  but  a  hus- 
band is  part  of  one's  soul.  My  life  and  his  were  one, 
and  are  one  still  forever.  Only  part  of  me  has  lived 
since  he  left  me,  but  it  will  not  always  be  so." 


54  OLIVE   TRACY 

She  raised  her  eyes  to  the  blue  sky  above  her,  and 
added  under  her  breath,  as  a  light  seemed  to  break  over 
her  face  "  In  sure  and  certain  hope  of  the  Resurrec- 
tion to  eternal  life,  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 
And  then  silently  they  came  away. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE    "  ONLY    CONTENTED    ONE    IN    THE    FAMILY  " 

Discontent  is  the  want  of  self-reliance ;  it  is  infirmity  of  will. 

— Emerson. 

MRS.  TRACY  went  to  her  room  upon  her  return  and 
had  a  cup  of  tea;  then  Olive  saw  to  her  dismay  that  she 
was  bent  on  going  to  the  cathedral  service  at  five.  She 
tried  in  vain  to  dissuade  her,  but  finding  that  quite  im- 
possible, she  asked  Margot  to  go  with  her;  and  came  in 
to  see  Osmond,  saying  desperately :  "  I  really  believe 
mother  does  her  best  to  kill  herself  on  such  days  as 
these  !  It  isn't  fair  on  us,  but  she  won't  hear  a  word." 

"  Are  you  coming  to  stay  ? "  said  Osmond  with  a 
wistful  look  in  his  eyes,  that  Olive  did  not  see.  "  I 
haven't  seen  any  of  you  since  the  morning.  Elsie  is 
quite  excited  at  Vinny's  arrival,  so  she  has  made  herself 
scarce." 

Olive  looked  at  her  watch. 

"  I  am  thinking  that  I  will  just  run  over,  and  see 
Lady  Crofton.  I  shall  have  time  if  I  go  at  once. 
Vinny  will  not  be  here  till  half  past  six." 

"  Cut  along,  then,  and  find  out  all  you  can  about  his 
Grace.  He  has  never  written  to  me  yet !  " 

Osmond's  voice  was  cheery,  but  when  Olive  had  dis- 
appeared, he  gave  a  little  sigh.  He  had  been  having  one 
of  his  bad  days,  when  his  pain  was  severe;  and  a  head- 
ache in  addition  prevented  him  from  forgetting  his  lone- 
liness in  reading. 

55 


56 OLIVE   TRACY 

Never  complaining,  the  girls  did  not  realise  how  much 
their  society  was  appreciated  by  him ;  and  though  there 
were  few  days  that  did  not  see  one  of  them  in  the  school- 
room, there  were  many  long,  lonely  hours  to  be  got 
through  by  the  invalid.  He  lay  now  watching  Olive 
running  down  the  garden,  and  through  the  meadows  to 
the  old  stone  bridge.  And  as  he  watched  her,  he  said  to 
himself  with  a  little  smile : 

"  She  is  never  too  tired  or  too  busy  to  go  to  the 
Croftons." 

Olive  slackened  her  pace  when  she  reached  the  high 
road ;  five  minutes  walk  brought  her  to  the  heavy  iron 
gates,  and  the  long  beech  avenue  that  led  up  to  Crofton 
Court.  She  knew  every  inch  of  the  way,  and  when  she 
came  to  the  old  Tudor  mansion,  she  walked  in  at  the 
front  entrance  through  the  open  glass  doors  that  were 
never  locked,  as  if  she  were  one  of  the  family.  At  the 
further  end  of  the  hall  she  met  the  butler. 

"  Is  Lady  Crofton  in  the  drawing-room,  Triggs  ?  " 

"Yes,  miss,  she  was  hoping  to  see  you  to  tea." 

Olive  sped  up  a  low  flight  of  broad  stairs,  and  pushed 
open  a  door  directly  opposite  her.  The  air  as  she 
entered,  seemed  full  of  the  scent  of  hot-house  flowers. 
Two  large  tubs  of  pink  and  white  azalias  stood  in  a 
deep  bay  window :  genistas,  ferns,  and  arum  lilies  were 
grouped  together  in  another  recess,  and  flowers  of  all 
varieties  and  hue  were  scattered  over  the  room.  Lady 
Crofton,  a  tall,  thin,  and  rather  stately  woman,  sat  in  an 
easy  chair  by  her  afternoon  tea  table,  and  now  looked  up 
with  a  smile  of  welcome  at  Olive. 

u  My  dear,  I  had  almost  given  you  up." 

Olive  bent  down  her  face  to  be  kissed. 


THE   ONLY   CONTENTED    ONE         57 

"  Yes,"  she  said  brightly  ;  "  and  I  almost  sent  a  note 
to  say  I  couldn't  come.  I  have  been  to  the  cemetery 
with  mother  this  afternoon,  and  Vinny  is  coming  to  us 
to-day;  so  there  has  been  a  lot  to  do." 

"  One  of  your  mother's  anniversaries  ?  " 

"Yes,  my  father's." 

Lady  Crofton  checked  the  slight  smile  that  had  come 
to  her  lips. 

"  Ah,  my  dear  Olive ;  there  never  was  such  a  devoted 
couple  as  your  parents  !  I  used  to  wonder  whether  one 
could  ever  survive  the  other.  Now  sit  down,  I  thought 
you  would  like  my  news  from  the  Cape." 

"  Yes,  indeed,  I  should,"  said  Olive  frankly,  though  a 
faint  blush  rose  to  her  cheeks,  which  Lady  Crofton's  keen 
eyes  detected  at  once  with  some  amusement. 

"  It  is  good  news.  Duke  has  met  Mark,  and  he  says 
he  is  steadying  down  again.  It  is  such  a  relief  to  my 
mind.  There  seems  to  be  rather  a  nice  English  family 
living  near  Mark,  and  Duke  is  quite  taken  with  them. 
He  says  they  are  such  a  boon  to  Mark.  They  come 
from  Northumberland.  Corderoy  is  the  name,  but  I 
hardly  think  they  are  a  county  family.  Still,  I  have 
such  a  horror  at  colonials  that  I  feel  thankful  Mark  has 
such  neighbours.  I  always  think  a  family  life  so  good 
for  a  young  man.  And  Duke  says  the  girls  are  well 
educated  and  perfect  ladies.  I  always  consider  that 
Duke  has  fastidious  tastes,  so  I  am  quite  satisfied  if  he 
is.  I  will  read  you  his  letter.  Dear  me,  it  is  getting 
quite  dusk  already.  Will  you  read  it  for  me  ?  " 

Olive  gladly  assented.  She  took  herself  to  task 
afterwards  for  the  foolish  pleasure  she  felt  in  han- 
dling the  thin  foreign  sheet  of  paper  with  the  clear  open 


58  OLIVE   TRACY 

handwriting  that  was  so  familiar  to  her.     It  was  a  pleas- 
ant, chatty  letter,  and  towards  the  end  he  wrote : 

X 

I  am  full  of  work.  The  country  seems  in  a  most  unsettled  state, 
and  people  wonder  out  here  if  England  has  at  all  grasped  the  true 
state  of  things.  I  should  not  be  a  bit  surprised  if  we  have  war 
before  the  year  is  out.  Optimists  have  great  hopes  of  the  coming 
conference  at  Bloemfontein,  but  wiseacres  here  shake  their  heads 
and  say  Kruger  means  war.  This  is  the  first  letter  I  have  written 
since  we  landed.  If  you  see  any  of  the  Tracys,  you  might  let 
Osmond  hear  of  my  whereabouts.  I  shall  write  to  him  by  the  next 
mail. 

"  Osmond  occupies  a  large  place  in  his  affections," 
said  Lady  Crofton  smiling ;  "  whenever  he  was  long 
away  from  us  it  was  always  Osmond  I  found  had  been 
the  attraction  !  " 

"  He  was  very  good  to  him,"  said  Olive  handing 
back  the  letter,  and  trying  to  speak  indifferently.  "  I  am 
sure  Osmond  misses  him  dreadfully  since  he  has  gone." 

"  And  no  one  else  ?  " 

Olive's  head  was  held  up  proudly. 

" 1  think  we  all  miss  him,  Lady  Crofton,  but  Os- 
mond, of  course,  most  of  all." 

Lady  Crofton  looked  at  the  girl  with  a  little  shake  of 
the  head.  Then  she  said,  meditatively :  "  I  don't 
want  them  both  to  marry  out  at  the  Cape.  Duke  seems 
so  Unusually  taken  with  the  Misses  Corderoys'  attrac- 
tions that  I  wonder  whether  it  is  as  much  on  his  own 
account  as  on  Mark's  that  he  is  so  pleased  to  have 
them  as  neighbours.  I  should  like  Mark  to  marry,  it 
will  steady  him ;  but  there  is  plenty  of  time  for  Duke. 
I  should  like  him  to  choose  a  wife  nearer  home." 

"  How  is  Sir  Marmaduke  ?  "  asked  Olive. 


THE   ONLY   CONTENTED   ONE         59 

"  A  little  better  to-day.  You  must  see  him  before  you 
go.  The  doctor  told  me  this  morning  that  he  may  live 
on  for  years.  And  I  really  think  his  speech  is  improv- 
ing. I  can  understand  every  word  he  says." 

They  chatted  on,  and  once  off  rather  critical  ground, 
Olive  recovered  her  spirits.  She  taught  Lady  Crofton  a 
new  stitch  in  knitting,  read  her  an  article  from  The  Times^ 
and  then  went  into  an  adjoining  room  to  see  Sir  Marma- 
duke.  He  looked  very  feeble  in  his  wheel-chair,  but 
gave  Olive  a  warm  welcome  and  made  her  sit  down  and 
read  his  son's  letter  again  to  him.  He  had  a  keen  sense 
of  humour,  and  was  not  unlike  his  eldest  son  in  appear- 
ance. He  still  preserved  his  uprightness  of  carriage,  and 
it  was  only  when  he  spoke  that  people  recognised  that  he 
had  had  a  stroke  of  paralysis. 

"  So  we  have  sent  the  eldest  son  after  the  prodigal," 
he  said  with  twinkling  eyes.  "  It  is  a  new  version  of  the 
old  story,  but  I  would  rather  Mark's  brother  did  the 
clothing  and  feeding  out  there,  than  that  the  father 
should  have  to  do  it  at  home." 

"  I  don't  think  Mark  has  come  to  that,"  said  Olive. 

"  He  is  a  thorough  bad  lot,  that  is  my  experience  of 
him,  and  I  know  him  rather  intimately." 

"  I  expect  he  will  do  better  now  that  Duke  is  within 
reach  of  him." 

The  old  man  shook  his  head. 

"  He  will  never  do  well.  It  was  born  in  him.  How 
is  your  young  scapegrace  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Eddie  is  very  well,"  said  Olive,  who  always 
tried  to  hide  her  brother's  delinquencies  from  all  their 
friends. 

"  An  idle  young  dog,  Holmes  calls  him.     Holmes  was 


60 OLIVE   TRACY 

here  dining  last  week.  He  walks  into  your  brother 
sometimes,  I  fancy." 

Olive  deftly  changed  the  subject ;  and  soon  after  took 
her  leave.  She  hastened  home,  and  had  not  been  in  five 
minutes  before  Vinny  arrived.  Mrs.  Tracy  had  re- 
turned from  the  evening  service  and  gone  straight 
to  bed.  Margot  informed  Olive  that  she  was  "  com- 
pletely exhausted  by  the  violence  of  her  emotions." 
And  Olive  explained  this  as  well  as  she  could  to  her 
eldest  sister,  who  looked  rather  blank  at  the  absence  of 
her  mother. 

They  gathered  round  the  drawing-room  fire  before 
dinner  was  announced,  feeling  a  little  forlorn ;  but  Olive 
did  her  best  to  dispel  this  feeling,  and  Vinny  said  with  a 
smile  and  sigh  : 

"You  never  grow  a  day  older,  Olive;  just  the  same 
old  rattle-pate  !  " 

Vinny  herself  was  the  beauty  of  the  family.  Tall  and 
graceful,  with  a  proud  poise  of  her  head,  and  a  low, 
sweet  voice,  she  would  have  attracted  attention  in  any 
crowd.  Her  hair  was  a  soft  golden  brown,  which 
rippled  off  her  broad  white  brow  and  clustered  in  tiny 
ringlets  wherever  it  could  get  a  chance.  A  clear,  fair 
complexion,  Grecian  nose,  and  delicately  cut  features 
belonged  to  Vinny,  also  a  pair  of  the  softest,  saddest 
brown  eyes  that  were  ever  owned  by  a  human  being. 
Her  manner  was  always  gracious,  but  very  slightly  bored  ; 
and  she  looked  as  if  life  to  her  was  a  thing  to  put  up 
with,  and  not  in  any  instance  to  be  enjoyed. 

Elsie  looked  up  to  Vinny  with  a  mixture  of  admiration 
and  impatience.  She  was  talkative  now,  and  her  tones 
were  eager. 


THE   ONLY   CONTENTED    ONE         61 

"  Now,  Vinny,  tell  us  the  latest.  We  see  a  Londoner 
so  seldom." 

"  The  latest  in  what  ?  " 

"  In  fashions,  in  new  songs,  new  books,  new  crazes, 
new  stars  in  society — oh,  everything  that  is  going  on 
while  we  sleep  away  our  lives  down  here." 

"  I  wish  I  knew  of  anything  really  new,"  said 
Vinny,  with  a  curl  of  her  lips.  "  I  have  reached 
Solomon's  experience,  that  '  there  is  nothing  new  under 
the  sun.'  " 

"  Oh,  that  is  because  you  have  been  surfeited  on 
the  fat  of  the  land.  I  only  wish  I  could  share  a  little 
of  it." 

Vinny  looked  at  her  young  sister  rather  wistfully. 

"  I  only  wish  you  could  Elsie,  but  it  is  of  no  use  my 
asking  Randolph.  I  told  him  the  other  day  it  is  a  farce 
to  have  a  spare  room ;  he  has  such  an  objection  to 
guests." 

"  And  why  are  you  not  abroad  ?  "  asked  Elsie  sud- 
denly. 

"  It  is  put  off  for  three  weeks.  Randolph  has  gone 
into  the  country  on  some  business,  so  I  thought  I  would 
come  home  and  get  a  whiff  of  sweet  spring  air  and  sun- 
shine. The  parks  in  town  always  make  me  homesick 
in  spring." 

Elsie  gave  a  short  little  laugh. 

"  I'm  the  only  contented  one  in  the  family,"  said 
Olive,  with  a  virtuous  air ;  "  Elsie  lives  in  the  country 
and  pines  to  be  in  town  ;  Vinny  lives  in  town  and  pines 
for  the  country." 

<l  Life  is  stagnation  in  the  country,"  said  Elsie  with  a 
frown. 


62  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  Life  is  an  empty  farce  in  town,"  said  Vinny  in  her 
low,  sweet  voice.  "  Of  course,"  she  added,  "  Elsie  and 
I  only  speak  from  our  own  standpoints ;  there  are  people 
who  can  live  in  the  country  without  stagnating.  I  know 
I  could.  There  are  some  in  town  to  whom  *  life  is  real, 
life  is  earnest,'  but  I  never  meet  them." 

"  Oh,  how  can  you  talk  so  !  "  exclaimed  Elsie.  "  You 
meet  people  every  day  of  your  life  who  I  would  give  all 
I  possess  to  see.  Authors,  statesmen,  poets,  artists,  any 
one  and  every  one  who  has  done  something  to  make 
themselves  of  note." 

"  Yes,  but  how  do  I  meet  them  ?  My  experience  is 
that  the  ones  most  worth  knowing  shun  the  haunts  of 
society,  or  if  they  come,  treat  women  of  fashion  as  if 
they  had  no  souls.  Some  of  the  most  clever  writers  are 
the  dullest  conversationalists ;  artists  and  poets  are  abso- 
lutely bad-mannered  ;  they  think  their  forte  is  to  be  ec- 
centric, and  eccentric  is  to  be  what  most  people  in  so- 
ciety are  not.  The  pets  in  society  are  generally  self- 
made  men,  whose  heads  get  turned  by  their  position,  or 
else  it  is  those  who  have  money  and  titles  to  recommend 
them  without  an  ordinary  supply  of  brains." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  know  you  think  London  society  is  rotten 
to  the  core.  I  only  wish  I  could  get  into  it,  I  don't 
think  I  should  find  it  so." 

"  It  is  talk,  talk,  talk,"  said  Vinny,  a  little  bitterly  ; 
"  people  talk  themselves  and  their  friends  threadbare  to 
keep  up  a  flow  of  conversation.  Do  you  know  what  I 
long  sometimes  to  do  when  I  look  round  one  of  these 
crushes  and  hear  bits  of  society  talk,  and  realise  that  all 
the  roomful  is  saying  the  same  kind  of  things  in  different 
phraseology  ?  I  long  for  a  deep  and  profound  silence ; 


THE   ONLY   CONTENTED   ONE        63 

for  every  man  and  woman  in  the  room  to  be  made  to 
think.  A  half-hour  of  meditation  !  That  is  one  thing 
we  never  give  ourselves.  *  I'm  not  made  for  thinking,' 
a  young  fellow  said  to  me  one  day,  when  I  said 
something  of  this  sort  to  him,  '  that  is  why  I  went  into 
the  army.  I  assure  you,'  he  went  on, '  I  get  ill  if  I  can- 
not talk  to  anybody.  My  nature  is  confiding.  I  can- 
not live  alone,  and  if  you  were  to  condemn  me  to  silence, 
I — I — should  go  to  sleep  ! ' : 

Olive  laughed,  but  Elsie  knitted  her  brows,  and  Vinny 
began  to  talk  of  home  matters. 

"  I  feel,"  she  said,  after  dinner  was  over  and  they  had 
come  back  to  the  drawing-room,  "that  the  stillness  and 
quiet  inside  and  out  is  making  me  a  new  woman  already. 
Will  you  have  me  for  three  weeks,  girls  ?  I  can  stay." 

"  Of  course  we  will.  Mother  will  be  delighted.  Mar- 
got  was  a  little  afraid  you  would  bring  your  maid  with 
you ;  she  fought  her  last  time,  do  you  remember  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  gave  Hawkins  a  holiday.  I  want  to  imagine 
myself  one  of  you  girls  again  if  I  can." 

She  went  up  to  see  Osmond  before  she  retired  for 
the  night,  and  then  drew  Olive  into  her  room  with  her. 

"  I  want  to  talk  to  you,"  she  said. 

"  You  have  never  stopped  doing  that  since  you  en- 
tered the  house,"  said  Olive  laughing.  "You  want  your 
hair  brushed,  and  that  is  the  fact." 

Vinny  smiled,  and  was  not  averse  to  this  suggestion. 
She  took  off  her  satin  dress,  slipped  a  crimson  wrapper 
round  her,  and  then  shaking  her  lovely  hair  impatiently 
over  her  shoulders,  let  Olive  act  as  her  maid. 

"  I  really  want  to  ask  about  Eddie,"  she  said.  "  I 
have  been  thinking  so  much  about  him  lately,  and  wish 


64  OLIVE   TRACY 

I  could  help  him.  Is  he  still  finding  his  allowance  in- 
sufficient ? " 

"  My  dear  Vinny,"  said  Olive,  putting  a  little  extra 
energy  into  her  brushing,  "  if  he  had  a  thousand  a  year 
he  would  still  be  in  difficulties." 

"  I  find  it  so  difficult,"  Vinny  said  despondently,  "not 
having  any  settled  allowance  of  my  own.  Randolph 
will  keep  such  a  tight  hand  over  my  private  expenditure. 
He  does  not  mind  how  much  my  dressmaker's  bill  is, 
nor  the  cost  of  the  most  reckless  housekeeping;  but 
when  it  comes  to  charities,  or  to  helping  any  other  living 
creature  outside  our  household,  he  is  like  adamant.  I 
have  to  account  to  him  for  every  penny  I  spend." 

"I  wouldn't  stand  it,"  said  Olive,  with  flashing  eyes. 
"It  is  bondage.  He  has  no  right  to  treat  you  so." 

"  It  is  his  money,  not  mine.  I  think  it  is  not  right  to 
let  a  girl  marry  without  a  penny  from  her  own  family. 
I  have  not  been  so  fortunate  as  some  of  you.  Look  at 
Osmond!  He  has  nearly  .£100  a  year  left  him  by  his 
godfather.  I  wish  I  had  it.  You  had  .£100  last  year 
from  Aunt  Jane,  had  you  not  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  Olive  quietly;  "it  has  been  most  useful." 

"  Well,  I  don't  mean  to  grumble,"  said  Vinny.  "  I 
know,  as  far  as  my  own  personal  tastes  go,  I  have  more 
than  I  need.  But  mother  always  seems  so  straitened 
now ;  and  I  cannot  help  any  of  you." 

"  Eddie  is  best  not  helped,"  said  Olive.  "  I  am  glad 
he  knows  that  every  sum  he  gets  out  of  us  entails  some 
sacrifice  on  our  part.  He  has  the  grace  to  be  ashamed 
of  himself  sometimes." 

"  Does  Colonel  Holmes  often  come  here  ?  "  asked 
Vinny. 


THE    ONLY   CONTENTED    ONE         65 

"No.  Since  his  home  was  broken  up  and  Mrs. 
Holmes  lives  with  her  sister,  his  visits  are  few  and  far 
between.  He  was  dining  the  other  night  with  the 
Croftons,  but  he  did  not  come  to  us." 

"  I  always  thought  that  a  false  step  on  mother's  part, 
getting  Eddie  into  his  regiment.  A  man  told  me  the 
other  day  it  was  one  of  the  most  go-ahead  ones  in  the 
service." 

"  So  it  seems,  as  far  as  Eddie  is  concerned." 

"  Colonel  Holmes  is  a  nice  fellow,  is  he  not  ?  He 
used  to  be  a  great  friend  of  yours,  Olive.  Do  you  re- 
member when  he  boxed  Duke's  ears  for  his  impudence 
in  the  meadow  over  carrying  your  school  books  ?  " 

Olive  laughed,  but  there  was  a  sudden  flush  in  her 
cheeks  that  Vinny  observed  in  the  glass  in  front  of  her. 

"  Which  did  you  favor  then  ?  "  Vinny  continued  ; 
"  Duke,  wasn't  it  ?  When  Colonel  Holmes  went  to 
Woolwich  he  got  a  little  too  grand  for  us.  I  hear  Duke 
is  at  the  Cape.  Do  you  hear  from  him  ?  " 

"  Me  !     Why  should  I  ?     Osmond  is  his  friend. 

Vinny  turned  round  and  drew  Olive  in  front  of  her. 

"  Child,  your  cheeks  tell  tales.  What  has  happened 
between  you  ?  .  Elsie  tells  me  she  is  sure  something  has. 
Six  months  ago  Duke  told  me  he  could  not  live  without 
you.  Don't  you  like  him  ?  " 

Olive  drew  her  hands  out  of  her  sister's  clasp. 

"  Don't  mind  my  cheeks,"  she  said  a  little  unsteadily. 
"  He  asked  twice  and  I  refused  him  twice,  and  that  is 
the  end  of  it.  There !  Your  hair  is  done.  Good- 
night !  " 


CHAPTER  VI 

SHAKEN 

What  can  we  do,  o'er  whom  the  unbeholden 
Hangs  in  night  which  we  cannot  cope  ? 

— F.  W.  H,  Myers. 

VINNY  brought  a  certain  amount  of  stir  into  the  quiet 
household.  She  might  talk  slightingly  of  London 
society,  and  of  her  town  life ;  but  she  was  a  well- 
read,  cultured  woman,  and  was  able  to  give  Elsie  much 
information  about  the  world  of  letters,  and  of  art,  which 
delighted  her  heart.  Mrs.  Tracy  enjoyed  her  visit.  She 
drove  out  with  her  every  afternoon,  and  appealed  to  her 
on  every  subject,  till  Olive  declared,  laughingly,  that  her 
light  was  put  out  and  she  must  retire  into  the  background. 
She  certainly  found  more  leisure  to  attend  to  her  own 
affairs  now  that  her  eldest  sister  engrossed  so  much  of  her 
mother's  time  and  attention.  Mrs.  Tracy  seemed  un- 
usually bright  and  interested  :  she  came  to  Olive  one 
morning  and  announced  her  intention  of  giving  a  small 
dinner  party  in  honour  of  Vinny,  and  when  Olive  de- 
murred a  little  at  the  expense  it  would  entail,  she  was 
promptly  crushed. 

"  My  dear,  we  are  not  so  badly  off  that  we  cannot  af- 
ford to  give  a  quiet  dinner  to  our  friends.  I  will  ask  Lady 
Crofton,  and  Dot  and  her  father,  and  Colonel  Holmes, 
and  the  dean  and  his  wife.  Perhaps  we  had  better  ask 
two  more  gentlemen.  The  two  unmarried  canons — how 
many  will  that  make  ?  " 

66 


SHAKEN  67 

"  Twelve  with  ourselves,"  said  Olive. 

"  That  will  do  nicely,  and  I  will  write  the  invitations 
myself.  I  think  we  might  say  next  Thursday  week." 

"  All  right,  mother ;  only  don't  you  trouble  about 
sending  the  invitations  out.  I  can  do  them." 

"  I  shall  like  to  send  them  myself,  dear.  I  will  do  it 
now." 

Mrs.  Tracy  had  been  walking  up  and  down  the  din- 
ing room  as  she  talked.  Vinny  and  Elsie  were  out. 
They  had  gone  primrose  hunting  in  the  lanes  near;  and 
Olive,  though  longing  to  be  with  them,  had  stayed  at 
home  to  write  letters  for  her  mother.  She  went  with 
her  now  into  her  morning-room,  and  saw  her  comfort- 
ably settled  at  her  davenport.  Just  as  she  was  leaving 
the  room,  Mrs.  Tracy  called  her  back. 

"  Olive,  I  think  on  second  thoughts  I  will  answer 
that  letter  of  Eddie's  myself.  I  have  not  written  to  him 
lately." 

"  Very  well,  but  don't  tire  yourself  over  it ;  and  don't 
promise  to  send  him  any  more  money,  mother  !  " 

Olive  placed  Eddie's  letter  on  the  davenport,  then 
bent  down  and  gave  her  mother  a  kiss  before  she  left  her. 
She  was  not  usually  demonstrative,  but  something  in  her 
mother's  face  that  morning  drew  out  her  affection  to- 
wards her.  All  her  life  long,  she  was  thankful  she  had 
given  her  that  kiss.  Mrs.  Tracy  gave  a  little  sigh,  as 
she  dipped  her  pen  into  the  ink,  and  commenced  her 
letter  to  her  absent  boy. 

"  Olive  is  a  dear  good  girl,  but  she  is  not  his  mother, 
and  she  does  not  understand  him  as  I  do  !  " 

Then  her  eyes  wandered  out  of  the  open  window,  in 
front  of  her  to  the  sunny  garden  beyond.  The  labur- 


68  OLIVE   TRACY 

nums  and  lilacs  were  in  full  bloom  ;  and  the  spring  bulbs 
round  the  shrubberies  gave  a  very  bright  look  to  the  old 
garden.  Her  thoughts  wandered  from  the  present  to  the 
past.  The  dean  had  been  so  fond  of  spring ;  he  had 
asked  for  a  pot  of  primroses  to  be  put  near  him  before  he 
died.  "  Lucy,  they  speak  to  me  of  the  new  spring 
dawning  for  me  in  the  other  world.  How  wonderful  it 
will  be  to  taste  the  spring  of  youth  again,  when  this  tired 
worn-out  body  will  be  laid  aside." 

And  as  she  thought  upon  this,  a  silent  unseen  visitor 
entered  the  room  and  approached  her.  She  took  her 
pen  up,  with  the  words  upon  her  lips,  "  He  is  so  like  his 
father,  he  only  needs  more  steadiness  and  application." 
And  then  she  wrote : 
MY  DEAREST  BOY, 

I  must  just  send  you  a  line  to-day,  to  say  I  have  re- 
ceived yours,  and  am  so  glad  you  won  the  race  yesterday.  I  cannot 
help  feeling  anxious  about  these  steeple-chases,  but  I  hope  you  will  be 
prudent.  I  wish  you  could  get  leave  to  come  over  to  a  small  dinner 
party  I  am  giving.  I  am  going  to  ask  your  Colonel,  as  I  have  not 
seen  him  for  a  long  time.  Vinny  is  here,  and  enjoying  herself  much. 
I  am  feeling  much  stronger  than  I  have  been  lately 

Then  very  softly,  very  gently  did  the  silent  visitor  lay  his 
hand  on  the  widowed  mother.  She  bent  her  head  over 
her  letter ;  the  pen  dropped  from  her  grasp ;  a  little 
fluttering  sigh  ;  and  then  a  stillness  fell  on  that  sunny 
morning  room,  and  on  the  writer  in  it.  A  chaffinch  out- 
side perched  on  the  window-ledge,  and  looked  with  quick 
inquiring  eyes  at  the  scene  within  ;  a  sunbeam  found  its 
way  to  that  bowed  head  and  touched  it  with  a  golden 
radiance;  and  still  no  one  came  to  disturb  the  solemn 
silence  that  reigned.  The  gardener  outside  whistled  a 
cheery  tune  as  he  mowed  the  turf  with  the  lawn  cutter  ; 


SHAKEN  69 

Olive  in  her  bedroom  above  was  singing  happily  to  her- 
self as  she  moved  here  and  there ;  and  the  maids'  chatter 
in  the  kitchen  was  wafted  into  the  garden  through  the 
open  window.  Sunshine  indoors  and  out ;  for  was  not 
spring  in  its  loveliest  garb  on  this  May  day  ?  And  the 
hearts  of  all  were  affected  by  it. 

And  the  spring  that  the  dean  had  talked  of  had  come 
at  last  to  the  one  who  had  found  most  of  the  year  grey 
and  autumnal. 

When  Olive  entered  the  room  a  short  time  afterwards, 
she  raised  a  cry  that  brought  most  of  the  household,  in 
fear  and  trembling,  to  her  side.  A  doctor  was  sent  for, 
but  nothing  could  be  done,  and  when  Vinny  and  Elsie 
returned  with  their  primroses,  it  was  to  find  themselves 
motherless. 

"  Failure  of  the  heart's  action,"  was  the  doctor's 
verdict,  but  though  for  a  long  time  her  daughters  had 
known  that  Mrs.  Tracy's  heart  was  weak,  her  sudden 
death  stunned  and  paralysed  them. 

Olive  found  in  the  dark  days  that  followed  the  help 
and  comfort  of  having  Vinny  with  her.  Elsie  shut  her- 
self up  into  her  room ;  Olive  still  had  to  arrange  every- 
thing and  manage  the  household.  Eddie  came  home, 
sobered  and  saddened  by  his  loss,  but  was  not  able  to 
give  his  sisters  much  help,  and  went  back  to  his  regiment 
immediately  after  the  funeral.  All  of  them  marvelled  at 
Olive's  composure.  She  still  maintained  her  cheery 
voice  and  demeanour,  and  if  she  did  not  offer  comfort 
in  words  to  her  sisters  she  looked  after  their  bodily  com- 
forts in  a  way  that  no  one  else  did.  Osmond  was  the 
only  one  who  noted  something  missing  in  her  looks  and 
tones,  and  he  quietly  waited  his  time. 


yo  OLIVE   TRACY 

It  was  a  sad  little  gathering  that  assembled  with  the 
family  lawyer  in  the  dining-room  after  their  return  from 
the  cemetery.  Mrs.  Tracy's  will  was  read,  and  Olive's 
worst  fears  were  realised.  A  great  part  of  her  mother's 
income  came  from  an  annuity  which  expired  at  her 
death.  Mrs.  Tracy  left  Eddie  a  sum  which  would  still 
bring  him  in  the  amount  he  had  been  accustomed  to 
receive  from  her  quarterly.  The  rest  of  her  capital  was 
to  be  divided  between  her  unmarried  daughters.  And 
this,  when  several  large  debts  had  been  paid,  would  give 
them  the  pitiful  income  of  .£150  between  them.  Elsie 
hardly  grasped  it  at  first,  but  Vinny  was  loud  in  her 
lamentations  on  their  account.  Eddie,  rather  hesi- 
tatingly, offered  to  forego  some  of  his  allowance ;  but 
neither  of  his  sisters  would  hear  of  this,  as  he  insinuated 
it  would  entail  his  leaving  the  service.  And  Olive 
closed  the  discussion  by  saying :  "  We  will  not  go  into 
the  ways  and  means  to-day.  We  have  been  told  what 
we  may  expect,  so  the  only  thing  to  do  is  to  make  the 
best  of  it." 

That  same  evening,  when  Eddie  had  left  them,  she 
stole  up  to  the  schoolroom,  leaving  Vinny  and  Elsie 
talking  together  in  the  drawing-room.  She  took  her 
favourite  seat  by  the  window  in  silence. 

"  You  are  tired,"  Osmond  said  presently  ;  "  this  has 
been  a  trying  day." 

"Yes,"  assented  Olive  absently. 

Osmond  waited  for  her  to  speak  again. 

And  after  another  long  silence  she  suddenly  turned 
round  : 

"  I  don't  think  I  believe  in  anything,  Diogenes." 

"  Since  when  ?  " 


SHAKEN  71 

Olive  gave  a  little  shiver,  then  spoke  rapidly  : 

"  It  is  awful  !  This  day  week  mother  was  well  and 
happy.  Now,  where  is  she  ?  It  is  dreadful — terrible ! 
I  can't  express  what  I  feel.  I  lie  awake  at  night  and 
think  of  it.  I  never  imagined  death  would  be  so  awful ; 
it  is  such  a  cruel  power.  I  have  never  felt  my  own 
insignificance  and  utter  helplessness  so  before.  I  never 
took  in  that  people  could  slip  out  of  this  life  so  suddenly, 
and  then  be  never  heard  of  or  seen  again.  I  wonder  we 
can  any  of  us  go  on  living  with  something  so  awful  as 
death  in  our  midst.  You  may  slip  away  to-morrow — I 
may,  all  of  us  !  It  seems  as  if  we're  just  puppets  of  fate, 
and  the  outside  world  smiles  and  goes  on  as  if  nothing 
had  happened.  I  can't  believe  mother  is  dead ;  I  can't 
believe  that  her  personality  is  so  swiftly  annihilated. 
There  is  nothing  but  terrible  silence  and  hopeless  con- 
jecture. How  do  people  live  on  after  death  has  come 
into  their  family  !  I  can't  conceive  getting  reconciled  to 
the  idea  of  it.  It  is  an  upheaval  of  everything  ;  there  is 
no  light,  no  comprehension,  no  hope,  no  sign  of  assurance 
that  she  is  anywhere.  Oh,  it  is  too  awful.  I  almost 
wish  I  was  not  in  existence.  We  are  entirely  in  the 
dark,  and  I  want  to  know  !  " 

It  was  a  passionate  outburst,  and  her  face  was  strained 
and  white. 

Osmond  said  nothing  for  a  few  minutes,  then  very 
slowly  he  spoke : 

"  If  in  this  life  only  we  have  hope  in  Christ,  we  are 
of  all  men  most  miserable  !  " 

"  Now  you  are  quoting  the  Bible  !  I  have  no  hope 
in  that  or  anything  else.  Everything  seems  taken  away. 
I  suppose  I  have  lived  taking  things  for  granted,  and  I 


72  OLIVE   TRACY 

have  been  awakened  with  a  shock  !  Look  at  me  now, 
Diogenes  !  " 

The  girl  sprang  to  her  feet,  standing  with  head  up- 
lifted, and  outstretched  hands ;  a  flush  of  excitement 
coming  to  her  cheeks,  and  a  defiant  glow  into  her  eyes. 

"  I  am  alive,  every  inch  of  me ! "  she  exclaimed. 
"  From  my  finger  tips,  I  feel  I  am !  Yet  suddenly 
against  my  will,  unwarned,  I  may  slip  away  to  nothing, 
and  your  one  idea  will  be  to  get  rid  of  my  body  !  It 
makes  me  frightened  to  live  !  I  may  smother  my  feel- 
ings— I  must  to  keep  things  going — but  these  are  not 
pleasant  thoughts,  and  I  can't  get  rid  of  them.  I  have 
always  tried  to  make  the  best  of  things  through  life;  I 
can't  make  the  best  of  this  !  It  is  inhuman  !  awful !  It 
is  like  a  bottomless  pit  suddenly  opening  just  under  your 
feet !  I  am  terrified,  and  cowed  by  it.  And  it  is  the 
inevitable,  only  a  question  of  time,  and  then  my  turn  will 
come — yours — every  one's  !  " 

"  You  feel  as  if  you  have  no  foundations  under  your 
feet !  " 

"  Yes,  everything  is  slipping  away." 

"  But  a  little  time  ago,  you  told  me  you  were  very 
happy  without  any  foundation.  Do  you  remember  our 
talk  about  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  you  said  I  had  nothing  to  hold  on  to  when 
storms  came,  and  I  haven't,  I  own  to  you  I  haven't ! 
Tell  me  honestly,  Osmond,  without  any  cant  or  humbug, 
have  you  ? " 

"  You  must  forgive  me  quoting  again — c  For  we  know 
that  if  our  earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle  were  dis- 
solved, we  have  a  building  of  God,  an  house  not  made 
with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens.' 


SHAKEN  73 

" '  We  are  confident,  I  say,  and  willing  rather  to 
be  absent  from  the  body,  and  to  be  present  with  the 
Lord.' 

"  I  believe  this  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart,  and  so 
did  your  mother." 

The  emphasis  and  steadfast  assurance  in  Osmond's 
tone  made  Olive  look  at  him  rather  awed. 

"  And  what  are  your  grounds  for  believing  it  ?  "  she 
asked  breathlessly.  "  Don't  be  shocked  at  me  ;  I  want 
to  get  to  the  bottom  of  things.  I  can't  live  without 
hope,  and  it  has  been  taken  from  me.  I  feel  a  heathen ! 
My  religious  training,  my  church-going,  does  nothing  for 
me  at  a  time  like  this.  I  have  never  been  brought  near 
death  before.  It  appals  me  !  Why  are  you  sure  that — 
that  mother  is  still  living,  that  the  soul  lives  on  ?  Give 
me  your  grounds  for  saying  so." 

"Your  mother  believed  in  Christ.  These  are  His 
own  words  :  c  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life,  he  that 
believeth  in  Me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live. 
And  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth  in  Me  shall  never 
die ! '  " 

Olive  was  silent,  then  she  said  at  last : 

"  It  sounds  reassuring  for  her — not  for  myself!  " 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  how  can  I  express  myself?  But  this  is  no  time 
for  pretence  or  affectation.  Because  Christ  is  nothing 
to  me — no  reality,  I  mean.  Of  course,  I  believe  that 
He  lived  on  earth,  and  died — at  least,  I  think  I  do;  for 
now  I  am  shaken  in  everything !  But  His  life  and 
death  are  of  no  vital  importance  to  me.  I  never  think 
about  Him  !  " 

"And  yet,"  said  Osmond  slowly,  "  Christ  is  the  pivot 


74  OLIVE   TRACY 

on  which  the  earth  and  heaven  itself  turns.  He  is  the 
way  from  death  unto  life,  the  link  between  God  and  us. 
The  only  One  by  whom  we  can  escape  the  penalty  of 
our  sins.  The  One  who  loved  us  and  gave  Himself  for 
us." 

Osmond's  words  stirred  Olive's  heart.     He  went  on  : 

"The  Chief  Corner  Stone;  the  foundation  of  the 
apostles  and  the  prophets.  The  dearly  beloved  Son  of 
God,  and  yet — He  is  of  no  importance  to  us.  We 
never  give  Him  a  thought." 

Olive  bowed  her  head  in  her  hands.  After  another 
long  silence  she  looked  up. 

"  How  can  I  make  these  things  real  to  my  soul  ? 
How  can  I  make  Christ  Himself  real  ?  " 

"  By  giving  Him  your  heart  to  dwell  in.  He  will 
make  Himself  real  to  you.  Christ  is  a  living  reality, 
Oily.  I  have  proved  it.  I  know  what  I  am  talking 
about.  He  is  the  foundation  for  us  to  build  upon.  If 
we  rest  our  hopes  on  Him  we  shall  never  be  shaken,  and 
death,  which  seems  so  terrible  to  us,  is  only  a  messenger 
to  take  us  to  Him." 

"  I  haven't  the  faith,"  murmured  Olive. 

"  Do  what  He  tells  you,  and  in  doing  it  your  faith 
will  come." 

"  What  does  He  tell  me  ?  Religion  is  so  vague  and 
indefinite." 

" c  Come  unto  Me,  all  ye  that  labour  and  are  heavy 
laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.' ' 

The  sweetness  of  the  words,  uttered  softly  and  rev- 
erently by  the  crippled  lad,  fell  upon  Olive's  perturbed 
and  anxious  soul  like  veritable  balm  of  Gilead.  She  said 
nothing,  but  rose  from  her  seat ;  then  with  a  murmured 


SHAKEN  75 

"  Good-night,"  she  left  Osmond  and  went  to  her  own 
room. 

The  soul  cannot  wrestle  with  its  agony  in  the  pres- 
ence of  its  fellow-creatures.  Alone  on  her  knees,  Olive 
lifted  up  her  despairing,  faithless  eyes  to  God  Himself. 
Tossed  to  and  fro  with  doubts  and  fears,  her  whole  life 
rose  up  before  her  as  a  gigantic  failure.  "What  have  I 
lived  for  ?  "  was  her  cry.  "  I  have  been  living  like  an 
animal,  with  no  thought  of  the  future  in  my  mind.  I 
never  reckoned  with  death.  If  it  is  all  true,  if  there  is 
a  heaven  and  a  hell,  if  I  had  been  taken  as  suddenly  as 
mother  has,  where  should  I  be  to-night  ? "  And  then 
she  prayed  as  she  had  never  prayed  before. 

"  Lord  save  me  or  I  perish  !  " 

There  must  come  such  times  to  every  thinking  man 
or  woman.  Some  may  gloss  it  over,  and  stifle  their 
starving  soul's  cry  of  distress  by  plunging  afresh  into  a 
life  of  excitement  and  pleasure.  Some  may  feverishly 
set  to  work,  and  try  by  a  rigid  life  of  self-denial  and  good 
deeds  to  make  their  own  atonement  for  a  misspent  life. 
Few,  perhaps,  have  the  courage  to  sift  deeply  the  cause 
of  their  unrest  and  uneasiness,  and  finding  all  efforts  of 
their  own  insufficient  and  useless  at  such  a  crisis,  cast 
themselves  humbly  and  unreservedly  upon  the  "  Rock  of 
Ages,"  the  Rock  which  is  old  enough,  and  strong 
enough,  and  sure  enough  to  bear  them  up  through  the 
world's  tempests  and  storms,  and  carry  them  safe  into 
eternity,  beyond  the  grave. 

Far  into  the  night  did  Olive  struggle  with  her  new- 
born convictions  and  longings.  She  had  taken  life  easily 
and  lightly,  and  had  laughed  at  her  sister's  grievances 
and  discontent.  She  had  been  secure  in  her  self-con- 


76 OLIVE   TRACY 

fidence  and  complacency,  and  though  she  had  had  hours 
of  anxious  thought  when  alone,  it  was  always  for  others 
and  never  for  herself.  Now  she  was  experiencing  some 
depths  in  her  inner  life  which  she  had  never  fathomed 
before,  and  again  Duke's  words  sounded  in  her  ears  : 

"A  happy  life  is  when  the  inner  life  is  adjusted  so 
satisfactorily  that  it  gives  one  no  trouble." 

She  felt  frightened,  bewildered,  and  helpless  through 
it  all.  She  fell  asleep  at  last,  worn  out  by  her  emotions, 
with  the  words  sounding  like  sweet  music  in  her  ear : 

"  Come  unto  Me  .     .     .  and  I  will  give  you  rest." 


CHAPTER  VII 

" A    CHANGE " 

And  out  of  darkness  came  the  hands 
That  reach  thro'  nature,  moulding  men. 

— In  Memoriam. 

"  OLIVE,  where  are  you  ?  Vinny  has  received  a  letter 
from  Randolph,  and  she  wants  to  talk  to  you  about  it." 

Elsie  came  out  upon  the  lawn  where  Olive  was  talk- 
ing to  their  old  gardener,  and  her  eyes  were  bright  with 
excitement. 

It  was  a  fortnight  since  the  funeral,  and  in  that  time 
a  great  deal  had  been  planned  and  carried  out.  The 
servants  had  all  received  notice  to  leave ;  the  house  and 
furniture  were  going  to  be  put  up  for  sale ;  and  it  was 
the  question  of  where  a  new  home  was  to  be  started  that 
was  now  troubling  every  one's  mind.  Olive  looked 
round  at  the  sound  of  her  sister's  voice  with  a  smile.  It 
was  only  her  lips  that  smiled  now,  never  her  eyes ;  the 
laughter  had  died  out  of  them,  and  a  shadow  seemed  to 
rest  upon  her  brow. 

"  I  am  coming,"  she  said  ;  "  I  am  only  telling  Davey 
to  save  some  cuttings  that  he  has  taken,  and  thought 
would  have  been  no  use  to  us.  Now  tell  me  the  news." 

"  No,"  said  Elsie,  "  I  shall  let  Vinny  be  the  one  to  do 
that ;  but  come  in,  as  it  will  entail  a  consultation." 

They  found  Vinny  up  in  the  schoolroom.  She  looked 
as  bright  as  Elsie,  and  yet  a  little  anxious.  "  Olive, 

77 


78  OLIVE   TRACY 

Randolph  has  actually  suggested  of  his  own  accord  that 
Elsie  should  come  with  us  abroad.  He  asked  me  what 
your  plans  were,  and  I  told  him  nothing  was  settled  yet. 
I  never  dreamt  that  after  all  these  years  he  should  sug- 
gest what  I  have  so  often  longed  for." 

"  And  what  about  the  expenses  ?  " 

"  He  says  that  will  be  his  affair.  I  cannot  under- 
stand it." 

"  My  chance  has  come  at  last,"  murmured  Elsie  to 
herself,  looking  rapturously  out  into  the  sunny  garden. 
Olive  felt  a  sinking  at  heart.  One  by  one  seemed  to  be 
going  from  her,  but  she  spoke  cheerfully. 

"  So  Diogenes  and  I  will  be  left  together.  Now,  what 
shall  we  do,  and  where  shall  we  settle,  and  what  shall  I 
do  for  a  livelihood  ?  " 

"I  have  been  thinking  about  it,"  said  Vinny ;  "you 
are  fond  of  the  country,  are  you  not,  Olive  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  love  it.  But  there  is  no  chance  of  employ- 
ment in  the  country." 

"  I  don't  think  you  need  be  in  a  hurry  about  that. 
You  can  live  much  cheaper  in  the  country  than  in  town. 
Last  year,  if  you  remember,  I  went  to  a  farm  to  recruit 
after  influenza." 

"  Yes,"  Olive  said,  "  not  so  far  from  here.  I  was 
away  at  the  time,  but  I  think — mother" — (she  choked  a 
little  over  the  word)  "  went  over  to  see  you  by  train  one 
day." 

"  Yes,  she  did.  It  is  only  two  stations  lower  down 
the  line ;  you  have  to  drive  five  miles.  It  is  an  ideal 
place  in  the  summer;  and  a  delightful  old  couple  keep 
it,  and  they  will  board  you,  and  board  you  comfortably 
too,  for  fifteen  shillings  a  week." 


A   CHANGE"  79 


"  Does  that  mean  that  you  had  your  meals  with 
them  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no ;  I  had  a  nice  large  sitting-room.  I  have 
been  thinking  it  would  be  just  the  place  for  you  and 
Osmond  to  go  to  till  we  come  back  from  our  travels. 
You  would  be  within  reach  of  your  friends,  and  yet 
would  be  economising  as  you  could  never  do  were  you 
to  take  rooms  in  this  town.  You  could  keep  in  touch 
with  Eddie ;  and  then  later  on,  before  next  winter  sets 
in,  we  could  arrange  together  what  had  best  be  done. 
What  do  you  think  ?  " 

"  It  sounds  nice ;  how  do  you  like  the  idea  of  it, 
Diogenes  ?  " 

"  First  rate,  if  you  won't  find  it  dull." 

"  I  have  never  felt  dull  in  my  life !  "  asserted  Olive 
spiritedly.  "  Then  we  shall  want  no  maid  with  us, 
Vinny.  Can  they  give  us  attendance  into  the  bargain  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes.  Of  course,  you  must  not  be  too  par- 
ticular ;  but  as  I  tell  you,  I  was  very  comfortable  there, 
and  I  loved  it.  I  should  take  any  small  bits  of  furniture 
that  might  be  useful  to  you  ;  for  there  is  plenty  of  room, 
and  I  should  sell  all  the  rest ;  for  furniture  can  be  bought 
so  cheaply  now-a-days,  and  I  think  storing  it  is  a  great 
mistake." 

"I  will  go  and  see  the  place  to-morrow,  and  make 
arrangements  with  them,"  said  Olive  with  alacrity. 

She  did  so,  and  came  back  with  glowing  accounts  of 
the  old  farm.  In  the  busy  time  that  followed,  all  had  so 
much  to  do  and  think  of,  that  quiet  talk  seemed  out  of 
the  question,  and  perhaps  it  was  as  well.  Elsie  was  the 
first  one  to  leave  the  old  home.  She  was  very  silent 
about  her  feelings,  and  Olive  could  never  get  below  the 


8o  OLIVE   TRACY 

surface  with  her ;  but  Osmond  got  a  word  in,  when  she 
came  to  wish  him  good-bye. 

"It  seems  unfeeling  of  me,"  said  Elsie  to  him,  as  she 
looked  round  the  old  schoolroom,  and  began  to  realise 
for  the  first  time,  that  she  would  never  see  it  again ; 
"  but  I  am  so  full  of  the  future,  that  I  cannot  regret 
leaving  this.  I  little  thought  I  should  ever  get  my  de- 
sire fulfilled.  Imagine  me^  Diogenes  !  one  who  has 
never  been  much  outside  the  radius  of  Blackenbury, 
seeing  London,  Paris,  Brussels,  travelling  up  the  Rhine 
to  Cologne,  and  visiting  all  the  foreign  cathedrals  and 
picture-galleries." 

"  Will  you  promise  me  something  ? "  asked  Osmond, 
smiling  at  her  eager  words. 

"  What  is  it  ?  " 

"Let  me  know  when  your  life  fails  to  satisfy  you." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  can  promise  that ;  but  you  will  have  to 
wait  a  long  while,  I  can  tell  you  !  " 

Then  after  a  minute,  she  added  with  a  smile,  "  I  have 
my  bricks  at  last,  Diogenes,  so  I  shall  begin  to  build." 

"  Without  the  foundation  stone  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know.  I  think  I  shall  have  a  good 
deal  to  build  upon.  Don't  preach,  there's  a  good  boy, 
and  take  care  of  Olive — poor  Olive !  How  her  life  and 
mine  is  dividing.  But  to  tell  you  the  plain  truth,  I  could 
not  live  in  this  neighbourhood  without  mother." 

Her  voice  broke  a  little.  She  added  hurriedly,  "  I 
have  never  made  friends  here  as  Olive  has.  I  like  the 
Croftons,  and  Dot,  but  Olive  is  the  favourite  with  them, 
and  I  shall  not  be  missed.  Good-bye,  and  if  I  find  that 
my  fuller  life  is  a  snare,  and  a  delusion,  I  will  write  and 
tell  you." 


"A   CHANGE"  8 1 


She  was  gone,  and  Osmond  lay  back  on  his  couch, 
and  prayed  for  her. 

The  last  night  in  the  home  came  to  Olive.  She  had 
been  packing  all  day,  and  saying  good-bye  to  her  most 
intimate  friends ;  and  now  she  stood  weary  and  forlorn 
in  the  empty  morning-room.  Men  were  ticketing  lots 
for  the  sale  in  two  days'  time ;  packing  cases  and  litter 
of  all  sorts  were  scattered  in  every  direction ;  but  just 
for  a  few  minutes  she  had  the  room  to  herself,  and  it 
was  then  that  a  letter  was  handed  to  her  by  the  maid — 
a  letter  that  sent  the  blood  rushing  through  her  veins, 
and  made  her  hands  tremble  as  she  touched  it. 

It  was  from  Duke. 

She  sat  down  on  a  packing  case  by  the  window, 
straining  her  eyes  to  see  by  the  dusky  twilight ;  and  read 
it  through  with  beating  heart. 

MY  DEAR  OLIVE, 

I  may  still  address  you  by  the  old  name,  may  I 
not  ?  I  feel  I  must  send  you  a  line  of  sympathy  and  pity,  since  I  have 
heard  the  sad  tidings  of  your  loss.  My  heart  is  with  you.  To  me  she 
was  a  second  mother,  and  I  cannot  bear  to  think  of  your  home  with- 
out her  gentle  presence.  May  God  help  and  comfort  you  in  this  sore 
trouble.  Her  gain,  but  our  loss,  and  it  will  take  long  to  reconcile  us 
to  it.  With  my  sincerest  sympathy, 

Believe  me, 

Yours, 

DUKE. 

Olive  read  it  and  re-read  it  with  hot  tears  falling.  It 
was  a  short,  bald  epistle,  and  might  have  been  addressed 
to  a  comparative  stranger,  but  none  the  less  did  she 
prize  it.  It  was  his  writing,  his  sympathy  offered. 

"  My  heart  is  with  you."     She  read  between  the  lines, 


82  OLIVE   TRACY 

and  could  picture  him  putting  restraint  upon  his  feelings 
as  he  wrote.  Not  for  a  moment  did  she  doubt  his  love 
for  her.  Marmaduke  was  not  a  man  that  altered.  He 
was  no  mere  boy  that  change  of  scene  and  society  might 
affect.  Absence  would  only  make  him  more  steadfast 
and  true  to  his  one  love.  She  had  told  him  to  try  to 
forget  her,  and  she  could  never  forget  the  look  in  his 
eyes  as  he  took  her  hand  in  his  and  kissed  it.  Forget 
her !  She  laughed  to  scorn  the  insinuations  of  his  mother, 
that  he  was  attracted  by  the  English  girls  out  at  the 
Cape !  She  dwelt  on  the  last  words  of  this  short  letter. 
"  Yours— Duke." 

Hers  !  Of  course  he  was  hers  for  time  and  for  eter- 
nity !  How  could  she  let  him  know  that  she  was  his  in 
return  ?  Olive  laid  the  letter  gainst  her  soft  cheeks 
caressingly,  and  sitting  on  that  dusty  packing  case  in  the 
empty,  desolate  room,  she  was  wafted  into  dreamland, 
into  a  region  where  nothing  was  distinct  but  just  herself 
and  one  other.  The  twilight  faded  away,  and  darkness 
still  found  her  there  with  the  light  of  love  and  hope 
shining  out  of  her  blue  eyes. 

She  was  roused  at  last  by  Margot,  faithful  Margot, 
who,  since  her  mistress'  death,  had  transferred  her  care 
and  affection  to  the  two  who  needed  it  most. 

"  Miss  Olive,  come  away.  I  have  just  taken  a  cup 
of  hot  soup  into  the  schoolroom  for  you.  You  will 
want  to  keep  up  your  strength  for  your  move  to- 
morrow." 

"  How  do  you  think  Mr.  Osmond  will  stand  it, 
Margot  ?  " 

"  He  has  gone  to  bed  as  calm  and  composed  as  an  in- 
fant," was  the  reply.  "  It  is  but  a  short  journey,  and  I 


"A   CHANGE"  83 


would  plead  again  to  come  with  you,  and  settle  you  in, 
Miss  Olive." 

Olive  shook  her  head,  but  she  laid  her  hand  affection- 
ately on  the  old  servant's  arm. 

"  I  am  equal  to  everything.  I  know  where  you  are 
going,  so  I  promise  if  either  of  us  are  ill  to  send  for  you, 
and  when  I  get  rich  I  shall  ask  you  to  come  and  be  my 
housekeeper." 

Then  with  a  little,  quick  sigh  she  ran  lightly  from  the 
room  ;  but  she  slept  that  night  with  Duke's  letter  under 
her  pillow,  and  its  advent  helped  her  through  the  bitter- 
ness of  the  parting  hours  in  her  old  home. 

Olive  never  forgot  that  first  arrival  at  Orchard  Farm. 
The  journey  was  an  anxious  one,  for  brave  and  patient 
as  Osmond  was,  it  was  a  terrible  undertaking  for  him. 
Yet  his  pain  was  lessened  by  the  kind  thought  of  Lord 
Bannister,  who  sent  over  his  brougham  to  take  him  the 
whole  distance  by  the  road,  and  with  soft  cushions  and 
every  care  he  was  not  nearly  so  exhausted  by  it  as  Olive 
feared.  It  was  a  drive  of  sixteen  miles ;  the  afternoon 
was  a  lovely  one,  and  the  country  picturesque  in  the 
extreme.  Muriel  came  over  to  see  them  started.  She 
had  been  in  and  out  a  good  deal  since  Vinny  had  carried 
off  Elsie,  and  was  delighted  to  think  that  her  friends 
were  not  going  out  of  her  reach.  Her  parting  words 
were : 

"  I  shall  ride  over  and  see  you,  Olive,  very  often.  I 
always  wished  for  a  farm  life,  and  I  quite  envy  you  your 
summer." 

Olive  seemed  her  bright,  cheery  self,  and  she  chatted 
on  unceasingly  to  Osmond  for  the  first  few  miles,  then 
gradually  they  dropped  conversation  and  subsided  into 


84 OLIVE   TRACY 

silence,  both  looking  out  with  interest  at  the  objects  they 
passed  by.  It  was  five  o'clock  when  they  drove  through 
the  little  village  of  Egerton  Cross.  The  thatched  cot- 
tages standing  back  from  the  road,  and  the  old  church 
and  rectory  on  a  rising  green  knoll  surrounded  by  clus- 
ters of  elms  and  oaks,  delighted  Osmond,  who  had  a 
keen  eye  for  the  picturesque.  They  passed  the  village, 
and  then  turned  up  a  green  lane,  at  the  top  of  which 
was  a  white,  wooden  gate  which  led  direct  to  the  farm. 
When  they  came  out  in  front  of  it  he  uttered  an  excla- 
mation of  pleasure.  It  was  an  old,  red  brick  building, 
long  and  low  in  shape,  with  gable  attics  and  a  thatched 
roof.  A  wooden  porch  was  covered  with  June  roses, 
and  creepers  clustered  thickly  round  the  casement  win- 
dows. The  front  faced  the  flower  garden,  and  beyond, 
the  orchard,  from  which  the  farm  took  its  name.  The 
farmyard  and  buildings  were  at  the  back.  The  garden 
was  gay  with  old-fashioned  flowers,  and  the  small  lawn 
contained  one  or  two  hen-coops  with  broods  of  downy 
yellow  chickens  following  their  respective  mothers  with 
a  great  deal  of  fuss  and  clatter.  A  small  gate  led  into 
the  orchard,  and  beyond  that  again  was  a  lovely  view  of 
the  valley  and  the  hills  on  the  farther  side.  Another 
gate  led  into  the  kitchen  garden,  and  this  was  surrounded 
by  a  red  brick  wall,  as  old  as  the  house  itself. 

When  the  carriage  stopped  two  women  and  a  large, 
brown  mastiff  came  to  the  door. 

Mrs.  March,  the  mistress,  was  a  pleasant,  cheery 
looking  woman,  the  picture  of  health  and  strength.  Her 
companion  was  a  tall,  wiry  spinster,  as  angular  in  figure 
as  Mrs.  March  was  round,  and  a  face  shining  with  soap 
and  water.  Mrs.  March  introduced  her  as  "  my  sister- 


"A   CHANGE"  85 

in-law,  who  lives  with  us,"  and  then  both  women  bent 
their  energies  to  making  their  lodgers  comfortable. 

They  were  shown  into  a  comfortable  parlour  over- 
looking the  garden.  A  fresh  white  cloth  was  spread  on 
the  round  table,  and  a  vase  of  roses  was  in  the  centre. 
Home-made  bread  and  butter,  golden  honey,  and  a  large 
currant  cake  adorned  the  table.  There  was  a  roomy 
couch  for  Osmond,  two  quaint  oak  cupboards  and  a 
couple  of  easy  chairs.  Nothing  pretentious,  but  as 
Olive  looked  round  she  felt  she  could  make  a  charming 
sitting-room  out  of  it.  A  room  adjoining  this  had  been 
fitted  up  as  a  bedroom  for  Osmond,  and  Olive  occupied 
one  over  the  parlour. 

She  stood  at  her  window  an  hour  later  enjoying  the 
quiet  homeliness  of  everything  around  her.  Osmond 
had  retired  to  rest,  and  she  was  so  weary  that  she  felt 
inclined  to  follow  his  example  ;  yet  the  sweet  summer 
evening  kept  her  enchained  to  her  window. 

"  It  will  be  a  time  of  peace  here,"  she  thought ;  "  but 
it  will  give  me  a  lot  of  time  for  thinking.  How  I  wish 
my  heart  was  at  rest !  I  do  not  see  yet  the  way  out  of 
my  difficulties.  Diogenes  has  such  strong,  such  simple 
faith  :  I  envy  him  !  I  want  to  get  on  the  right  founda- 
tion, but  I  cannot  realise  it.  I  think  I  begin  to  under- 
stand now  what  Duke  meant  by  the  inner  life.  I  am 
finding  out  that  I  have  got  fears,  and  troubles,  and  needs 
that  the  outside  life  cannot  help,  which  I  alone  must 
grapple  with.  I  suppose  I  never  felt  the  realities  of  life 
and  death  before,  and  oh,  how  I  should  like  to  feel  on  a 
firm  footing  with  regard  to  them  !  Adjusted  rightly  !  I 
can't  adjust  it  rightly.  I  pray,  but  I  seem  to  get  no  an- 
swer. Diogenes  tells  me  to  read  my  Bible,  but  I  don't 


86  OLIVE   TRACY 

understand  it.  I  will  have  another  try,  but  I  don't  quite 
know  where  to  read." 

She  took  up  her  little  Bible,  and  leaning  on  the  win- 
dow ledge,  turned  over  the  leaves  rather  listlessly.  Then 
she  settled  down  to  read  Revelation.  The  fifth  verse  of 
the  first  chapter  stopped  her : 

"  Unto  Him  that  loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our 
sins  in  His  own  blood." 

"  I  wish  I  could  say  that.  I  do  see  what  a  failure  my 
life  must  seem  in  God's  sight,  how  full  of  sin.  But 
how  can  I  know  that  Christ  loved  me  and  will  wash  me 
from  sin  ?  " 

She  sighed,  then  read  on  till  she  came  to  the  seven- 
teenth verse  of  the  third  chapter. 

Then  a  light  seemed  to  break  in. 

"  I  do  know  my  need,  this  is  typical  of  me.  I  am 
wretched,  miserable,  blind,  for  I  can't  see  what  others 
see,  and  yet  how  I  long  to !  Here  is  my  need  described, 
and  I  suppose  the  next  verse  is  the  remedy.  It  brings 
me  back  to  Christ,  just  as  Diogenes  told  me." 

She  read  on. 

"  Yes,  if  I  let  Christ  into  my  heart,  He  will  do  it  all ; 
He  will  adjust  my  life  rightly,  and  calm  my  doubts,  and 
give  me  faith.  I  am  beginning  to  see  it  at  last.  It  is 
just  handling  myself  over  to  Him  to  be  put  right  from 
head  to  foot." 

She  closed  her  Bible,  and  knelt  by  the  open  window. 
The  soft  June  air  played  with  her  ruffled  hair  as  she 
bowed  it  in  her  hands.  The  stars  above  and  silver  moon 
were  the  only  witnesses  that  a  great  transaction  was 
taking  place  at  that  small  chamber  window.  Like  the 
fishermen  on  the  storm-tossed  boat,  when  hope  was  dy- 


"A   CHANGE"  87 


ing  fast,  Olive  found  that  the  presence  of  the  Master 
brought  instant  peace  and  rest. 

And  when  she  at  last  rose  from  her  knees,  her  face, 
though  wet  with  tears,  was  shining  with  a  wonderful 
glad  experience. 

She  had  found  the  sure  foundation  for  her  feet,  and 
the  trouble  in  life,  the  terrors  in  death,  would  no  longer 
move  her. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

STILL    LIFE 

In  green  old  gardens  hidden  away 

From  sight  of  revel,  and  sound  of  strife, 

Where  the  bird  may  sing  out  his  soul  ere  he  dies, 

Nor  fears  for  the  night,  so  he  lives  his  day, 

Where  the  high,  red  walls,  which  are  growing  grey, 

With  their  lichen  and  moss  embroideries, 

Seem  sadly  and  sternly  to  shut  out  Life, 

Because  it  is  often  as  sad  as  they. 

In  green  old  gardens,  hidden  away 
From  sight  of  revel,  and  sound  of  strife, 
Here  have  I  leisure  to  breathe  and  move, 
And  to  do  my  work  in  a  nobler  way ; 
To  sing  my  songs,  and  to  say  my  say ; 
To  dream  my  dreams,  and  to  love  my  love ; 
To  hold  my  faith,  and  to  live  my  life, 
Making  the  most  of  its  shadowy  day. 

—  Violet  Fane. 

THOSE  were  very  happy  days  at  Orchard  Farm  ;  happy 
in  spite  of  all  the  trouble  through  which  Olive  and 
Osmond  had  just  passed.  They  loved  the  quaintness 
and  old-fashioned  simplicity  of  their  surroundings,  and 
were  soon  the  greatest  friends  with  the  farmer  and  his 
wife.  The  farmer,  Andrew  March  by  name,  was  a 
character  in  his  way.  He  was  very  fond  of  going  into 
the  parlour  and  having  a  chat  with  Osmond  when  Olive 
was  out,  but  nothing  would  induce  him  to  venture  in 
when  she  was  there. 

88 


STILL   LIFE         89 

41 A  knows  what  respec'  is  due  to  a  lady,  and  if  she 
has  a  likin'  for  a  chat  with  my  humble  self,  well  then  a 
shall  be  proud  and  pleased  to  see  her  in  my  kitchen, 
when  wife  and  a  be  settled  down  of  an  eveninV 

Osmond  found  the  comfort  of  being  on  the  ground 
floor.  He  was  now  able  to  be  wheeled  out  into  the 
garden  and  orchard  in  his  chair  with  little  difficulty,  and 
the  sweet  air  of  early  summer  seemed  to  give  him  fresh 
life  and  strength.  He  enjoyed  his  talks  with  the  farmer, 
who,  though  an  illiterate  man,  had  much  sound  sense  in 
his  composition,  mingled  with  a  very  narrow  outlook  on 
the  world  beyond  his  ken. 

"  Noa,  master,"  he  would  say  to  Osmond,  bringing 
down  his  broad,  horny  hand  with  a  resounding  smack 
on  his  knee,  "  a  dussn't  lose  by  not  readin'  and  writin', 
an'  such  likes  !  What  good  do  it  do  for  a  man  ?  He 
takes  in  a  lot  o'  new-fangled  notions  o'  young  chaps  half 
his  age,  instead  o'  usin'  the  brains  that  Almighty  has 
given  him.  A  keeps  my  experience  an'  the  knowledge 
my  father  handed  down  to  me  in  my  head.  My  father 
began  with  a  shillin'  in  his  pocket ;  he  left  this  farm  with 
not  a  penny  owin',  an'  a  can't  do  better  than  him. 
News  ?  A  hears  the  news  when  a  goes  to  market,  an' 
'tis  the  price  o'  wheat,  an'  eggs,  an'  such  like  is  enough 
for  me.  A  doant  care  what  the  forriners  be  aboot,  nor 
the  queen  (God  bless  her),  nor  parlyment !  They  doant 
interfere  with  me,  an'  why  need  a  interfere  with  'em  ? 
A'm  the  master  o'  my  farm,  an'  doant  want  to  be  mas- 
ter o'  anythink  else  !  A'm  a  peaceable  man,  an'  so  is 
wife.  If  ye  wants  a  body  up  to  the  times,  wi'  knowl- 
edge of  every  livin'  craytur'  under  the  sun  a-droppin' 
out  o'  her  finger  ends,  then  talk  to  my  sister  Bess !  She 


90  OLIVE   TRACY 

wur  in  Lunnon  when  a  maid,  an'  it's  clung  to  her  natur' 
ever  since.  She  tried  the  dressmakin'  for  a  time,  an' 
dressmakin'  an'  tailorin'  turn  out  a  brave  lot  o'  talkers  ! 
But  'tis  talk  from  books  an'  papers — she  has  no  mind  o' 
her  own,  poor  craytur' !  'tis  alway  c  a  read  it,  a  tell  'ee, 
so  it  must  be  true  ! '  Ha  !  ha !  she  be  the  scholar,  an' 
wife  an'  me  be  the  dunces,  but  a'm  jiggered  if  us  bain't 
the  happiest  o'  the  party  !  " 

And  certainly  Andrew  March  and  his  wife  were  one 
of  the  cheeriest  couples  that  either  Olive  or  Osmond 
had  ever  come  across. 

Miss  March  was  indefatigable  in  her  work.  It  was 
she  who  waited  on  them  and  attended  to  all  their  wants. 
She,  only  aided  by  a  stout  maid  of  all  work,  kept  the 
whole  house  clean  and  tidy,  and  the  dairy  was  her  special 
charge  and  pride.  Olive  liked  to  go  in  there  in  the  early 
morning  and  watch  her  quick,  deft  hands  turn  out  pound 
after  pound  of  beautiful,  yellow  butter.  She  was  a  quick 
worker,  and  a  quick  talker,  and  looked  upon  her  broth- 
er's ignorance  about  the  outside  world  with  humorous  pity. 

"None  of  us  were  brought  up  with  education,  Miss 
Tracy,  and  Andrew  always  played  truant  when  he  could 
get  a  chance.  The  young  scamp  never  touched  a  book 
after  he  left  school,  and  soon  forgot  all  he  learnt.  I 
always  had  a  pinin'  for  learnin'  and  for  books,  and  when 
my  aunt  in  London  took  a  likin'  to  me  and  carried  me 
off  with  her  I  was  wild  like  with  delight.  Poor  Andrew 
has  never  been  more  than  fifteen  mile  away  from  here, 
and  his  world  just  stops  there  !  I  don't  think  he'd  care 
if  Europe,  Asia,  Africa  and  America  were  all  burst  up 
with  volcanoes.  And  if  an  earthquake  would  shake 
Scotland,  Ireland  and  Wales  into  the  sea,  and  floods 


STILL   LIFE  91 


would  drown  every  bit  of  England  except  just  round 
here,  he  would  smoke  his  pipe  and  not  turn  a  hair,  and 
say  'twouldn't  hurt  him  !  While  as  to  religion,  Miss 
Tracy,  he's  like  a  haythen.  He  do  b'lieve  the  Bible  be- 
cause his  mother  did,  but  he  says  the  vicar  reads  it  to 
him  once  a  week  on  Sunday  and  he  digests  it  all  the 
week  till  the  next  time  come  ;  and  that's  enough  for  any 
man,  he  says.  And  Miss  Tracy,  if  you  b'lieve  me,  he 
will  have  it  that  not  another  book  in  the  whole  wide 
world  is  true.  If  you  speaks  on  history  to  him,  he  says, 
4  How  d'ye  know  it's  true  ?  You  weren't  there  an'  I 
weren't  there,  and  the  chaps  can  put  what  lies  they  like : 
there  be  no  one  to  contradict  'em.'  Which  is  a  foolish, 
ignorant  way  to  talk,  but  he  knows  no  better." 

Miss  March  took  a  weekly  London  paper,  which  came 
to  her  by  the  post  every  Saturday  and  was  the  signal  for 
much  mirth  at  her  expense  by  her  brother. 

"  Here  comes  Bess's  gossip,  wife  !  Now  for  the  news 
of  the  quality  !  Ringlets  is  comin'  in  fashion,  Bess,  an' 
Dick  has  run  away  wi'  Tom's  maid,  and  lords  and  docks 
is  a-sittin'  down  to  dinner,  an'  the  cannibals  in  'Mericky 
is  cuttin'  and  eatin'  up  the  soldiers  and  sailors !  An'  the 
world  is  turnin'  round,  and  London  folks  is  askin'  where 
Miss  Bess  March  has  gotten  !  " 

All  of  which  witticisms  Bess  would  receive  in  scorn- 
ful silence ;  but  she  would  read  bits  of  news  out  to  her 
sister-in-law  when  the  farmer  was  not  in  the  room,  and 
Mrs.  March  would  listen  and  enjoy  it,  and  repeat  as 
much  as  she  could  remember  to  her  husband  when  she 
got  the  chance. 

Olive  and  Osmond  were  respectively  dubbed  the 
"  Miss  "  and  the  "  Master "  by  Andrew  and  his  wife, 


92  OLIVE   TRACY 

but  Miss  March  always  gave  them  the  full  benefit  of 
their  surname,  dragging  it  in  on  every  occasion. 

It  was  a  lovely  morning. 

New-mown  hay  was  scenting  the  air,  and  Olive  and 
Osmond  were  sitting  in  a  favourite  nook  of  theirs  under 
an  old  apple  tree  in  the  orchard.  Osmond  was  gazing 
at  the  distant  valley  which  lay  bathed  in  golden  sunshine 
at  their  feet.  He  was  making  a  pretty  sketch  of  it  in 
water  colour,  for  he  was  skilful  both  with  pen  and  pencil. 
Olive  lay  back  in  a  hammock  chair.  A  book  was  in 
her  hand,  but  she  was  not  reading.  Her  thoughts  were 
fluttering  between  her  old  home  and  South  Africa. 
Peaceful  though  this  life  was,  she  was  too  active  a  spirit 
to  be  happy  in  it  for  long,  and  she  missed  intensely  the 
housekeeping  cares  and  management  of  a  household  to 
which  she  had  always  been  accustomed.  Suddenly  a 
childish  voice  broke  on  her  reverie  : 

"  I'm  sure  they  would  like  to  see  Beautiful." 

Olive  turned  round.  Standing  at  the  gate  leading 
from  the  garden  to  the  orchard  was  a  fair-haired  child 
in  a  white  sun-bonnet,  and  large  brown  holland  overall. 
In  her  arms  she  was  hugging  a  doll,  and  Mrs.  March 
was  behind  her. 

"  Come  in  and  speak  to  us,  little  girl,"  said  Olive 
brightly,  being  thankful  for  a  respite  from  her  thoughts. 
"  Who  is  it,  Mrs.  March  ?  A  little  friend  of  yours  ?  " 

"I'm  Miss  Ida  Hunt  from  the  Rectory,"  said  the 
small  maiden,  advancing  with  leisure  and  dignity.  "  I 
play  in  this  orchard  quite  by  myself  when  Mrs.  March 
lets  me." 

Olive  felt  that  she  and  Osmond  were  distinctly  in  the 
way. 


STILL   LIFE  93 


"Show  me  your  doll,"  she  said;  "do  you  call  her 
4  Beautiful '  ?  That  is  a  pretty  name." 

"  She's  not  a  doll  at  all,  she's  my  child.  She's  more  than 
three  years  old,  and  she  understands  everything  I  say  to  her." 

Ida  stood  in  front  of  Olive  and  spoke  severely,  lifting 
a  lovely  pair  of  grey  eyes  to  her  face.  Then  she  held 
out  "  Beautiful "  for  inspection. 

"  She  kicked  off  her  shoes  and  stockings  this  morn- 
ing, she  was  too  hot,"  announced  the  little  mother. 

"  Beautiful "  was  a  long,  lanky  personage  with  kid 
arms  and  fingers,  and  white  cotton  feet  that  dangled  in- 
differently from  below  a  rather  dirty  print  frock.  Her 
face  had  once  been  a  comely  one,  but  the  heat  of  winter 
fires  and  summer  sunshine  had  reduced  her  waxen  fea- 
tures considerably,  especially  her  nose,  which  was  the 
very  tiniest  bump,  and  rather  a  dirty  one.  Her  counte- 
nance was  pale  and  sticky,  and  a  pair  of  black  eyes  were 
the  only  distinguishable  mark  about  her.  These  stared 
impartially  and  tranquilly  at  every  one.  A  wisp  of  yel- 
low hair  stood  upright  in  the  middle  of  a  very  bald 
crown,  whilst  round  her  neck  were  some  glass  beads. 
Her  whole  appearance  was  that  of  ill-use  and  decay,  but 
she  occupied  the  biggest  half  of  a  child's  heart  and  was 
therefore  not  to  be  despised. 

"You  are  new  peoples,"  observed  Ida,  never  flinch- 
ing in  her  upward  gaze.  "  Beautiful  and  me  hasn't 
seen  new  peoples  for  years.  Not  since  last  Christmas 
when  mother  had  a  lady  to  stay." 

"  Do  we  look  nice  ?  "  inquired  Osmond,  trying  to 
throw  anxiety  in  his  tone. 

"  Are  you  lazy  ?  "  demanded  Ida,  turning  her  gaze 
upon  the  speaker. 


94  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  No,  only  ill." 

"  Do  you  take  medicine  ?  Beautiful  does.  We  make 
it  of  the  milk  that  comes  out  of  dandelion  stalks,  with 
some  water." 

"  Sit  down  and  tell  us  more  about  Beautiful  and  your- 
self," said  Olive  smiling. 

Ida  obeyed  instantly,  and  sat  on  the  grass  with  her 
legs  well  tucked  under  her.  Beautiful  was  propped 
against  an  old  tree  stump. 

"She's  getting  too  big  to  be  always  in  my  lap,"  was 
the  explanation  offered ;  "  and  I  like  to  look  at  her  to 
see  she  behaves." 

Then  the  small  damsel  crossed  her  plump  hands  and 
waited  for  her  elders  to  speak  again. 

"  And  do  you  roam  all  over  the  country  by  your- 
self ?  "  asked  Olive  with  interest.  "  Have  you  no  nurse  ? 
No  brothers  and  sisters  ?  " 

Ida  shook  her  head. 

"  I'm  too  big  for  a  nurse.  Delia  dresses  me  and 
mends  my  clothes.  I'll  tell  you  who  lives  in  our  house, 
shall  I  ?  There's  Delia.  She  says  she's  going  to  marry 
Mr.  Stephens  who  keeps  the  blacksmith's  shop,  and  then 
she  won't  live  with  us  any  more.  And  she's  going  to 
have  a  wedding,  and  I  shall  hold  her  gloves  and  nosegay 
for  her  when  she's  in  church.  Delia  will  make  a  cake 
when  I  go  to  her  house  to  tea." 

A  pause,  in  which  Ida  gazes  vacantly  in  front  of  her 
in  rapt  contemplation  of  this  anticipated  bliss.  Then 
hurriedly  she  continues,  "  and  there's  Dan,  and  he  is  a 
dirty  boy,  for  he  eats  his  lunch  with  his  blacking  fingers, 
and  never  washes  them,  and  then  there's  cook,  and  she 
won't  let  me  in  the  kitchen,  never,  and  I  wish  she'd  get 


STILL   LIFE  95 

married  like  Delia!  And  there's  Kate,  and  Kate  made 
Beautiful  this  nice  frock,  and  she  lets  me  wash  up  in 
her  pantry  when  I'm  very  good.  I  think  that's  all  in 
our  house." 

"  No  father  and  mother  ?  " 

"Why,  yes,  of  course,  our  house  belongs  to  them, 
and  to  me  and  Beautiful." 

She  seizes  hold  of  the  staring  doll,  and  bestows  a  wet 
kiss  on  her  sticky  cheeks. 

"  Isn't  she  a  darling  ?  I  love  her  better  than  the 
whole  world  !  " 

"  Not  better  than  father  and  mother  ?  " 

"  Oh,  quite  different ;  Beautiful  is  always  with  me. 
I  have  her  all  day  and  all  night,  and  she  knows — oh, 
such  a  lot !  " 

The  fair  head  bobbed  up  and  down  mysteriously,  then 
she  added,  "  Mother  has  the  parish,  and  I  have  Beauti- 
ful !  " 

u  And  what  about  father  ?  " 

Ida  considered,  then  — 

"  Father  has  God." 

This  sublime  utterance  coming  out  triumphantly  from 
the  rosy  lips  was  followed  by  silence.  Osmond  looked 
away  to  the  distant  hills,  whilst  a  smile  played  about  his 
lips.  Olive  looked  at  the  child  with  tender  awe. 

But  Ida  was  looking  round  for  something  to  play 
with.  Then  with  a  quick  spring  she  seized  hold  of 
Osmond's  sketch  book. 

"  Did  you  make  these  pictures  ?  Beautiful  likes 
pictures,  may  I  show  them  to  her  ?  " 

But  Osmond  put  out  his  hand  and  quietly  took  his 
sketch  book  back. 


96 OLIVE   TRACY 

"  If  you  bring  Beautiful  here  I  will  show  you  them." 

So  the  little  girl  crushing  her  doll  in  her  arms  edged 
close  to  Osmond,  and  was  soon  absorbed  in  the  sketches. 
Her  delight  when  she  recognised  the  farm,  and  a  rough 
sketch  of  Andrew,  was  great.  "  Now,"  she  said  im- 
peratively ;  "  put  me  and  Beautiful  in  a  picture.  I'll 
stand  ever  so  still,  and  if  Beautiful  moves  I'll  shake  her  !  " 

So  the  strange  little  couple  were  arranged  under  the 
apple  tree,  and  Olive  seeing  Mrs.  March  go  into  the 
kitchen  garden  to  pick  gooseberries,  followed  her.  Her 
last  sight  of  Ida  was  a  pretty  one.  She  had  taken  off 
her  sun-bonnet,  and  her  fluffy  fair  hair  stood  round  her 
tiny  face  like  a  halo.  Her  eyes  were  big  with  excite- 
ment, and  she  was  saying  in  a  shrill  whisper :  "  If  I 
don't  talk  very  loud  I  shan't  move  much,  and  if  a  fly 
comes  on  my  nose  you  must  put  him  in,  for  I  mustn't 
shake  him  off!  " 

"What  a  little  character  she  is,"  said  Olive  to  Mrs. 
March.  "  Does  she  often  come  and  pay  you  visits  ?  " 

Mrs.  March  shook  her  head. 

"She's  running  wild,  Miss;  and  though  she's  our 
rector's  daughter,  I  must  say  it.  He  is  a  good  man  is 
our  rector,  a  little  too  clever  for  us.  I  hear  tell  he 
spends  all  his  days  in  his  study,  writiri'  andreadin'.  He 
never  comes  a  visitin',  but  Mrs.  Hunt  is  always  at  it. 
She  haves  a  mothers'  meetin',  and  a  club,  and  a  mission- 
ary work  party,  and  a  friendly  girls'  evenin',  and  a  lads' 
night  school,  and  she  be  on  all  the  committees  for  every- 
thin'  agoin',  and  Miss  Ida,  she  be  supposed  to  be  looked 
after  by  Delia  French,  but,  bless  your  heart !  the  giddy 
girl  is  always  a-gaddin'  round  on  her  own  business,  and 
Miss  Ida,  she  be  always  a-runnin'  away  on  hers  !  Did 


STILL   LIFE  97 

ye  ever  see  such  an  old  fright  of  a  doll,  Miss?  Well, 
there  has  been  terrible  ructions  at  the  rectory  on  a  Sun- 
day over  it.  Mrs.  Hunt  said  it  must  be  put  away  on 
the  Sabbath,  and  Miss  Ida,  who  be  terrible  wilful,  won't 
give  in  to  it.  She  cried  herself  ill  one  Sunday,  for  'tis 
like  a  livin'  thing  to  her,  not  a  plaything  at  all,  then  she 
was  whipped ;  but  by  hook  or  crook,  that  child  would 
have  her  doll,  and  at  last  the  rector  spoke  out,  and  said  she 
was  a  baby  so  she  might  be  allowed  it  a  bit  longer.  Then 
she  marches  into  church  with  it,  and  sits  it  up  in  the 
pew,  and  insists  on  providin'  it  with  hymn  book  and 
prayer  book,  and  the  school  children  titter,  and  Mrs. 
Hunt  takes  it  up  and  marches  out  of  church  with  it,  and 
Miss  Ida  bursts  into  a  fit  of  weeping  over  it.  She  don't 
bring  it  to  church  now,  but  'tis  the  only  time  she  has  it 
out  o'  her  arms.  Yet  she's  a  sweet  little  maid,  and  has 
such  pretty  wheedlin'  ways  with  her  that  she's  the  pet  of 
the  village." 

When  Olive  returned  to  the  orchard,  she  found  the 
sketch  just  finished,  and  Ida  expressing  her  opinion  as 
to  its  merits. 

"You've  made  Beautiful  a  fright,"  she  was  saying, 
"  you've  made  her  two  eyes,  and  no  mouth." 

"  I  don't  see  any  mouth,"  said  Osmond.  Ida  turned 
from  him  petulantly.  "  That's  what  father  says,  as  if  I 
can't  see  her  darling  mouth  ;  why,  I  kiss  it  all  day  long ! 
I  don't  like  that  picture.  You  can  have  it.  I  don't 
want  it." 

Olive  caught  her  up  in  her  arms,  and  then  ensued  a 
regular  romp  in  the  old  orchard,  Olive  enjoying  it  quite 
as  much  as  her  small  friend.  Then  Ida  suddenly  an- 
nounced her  intention  of  going  home. 


98  OLIVE   TRACY 

She  shook  hands  gravely. 

"  I  like  you,"  she  said ;  "  and  I'll  come  again  and 
play  games  with  you ;  and  I  like  the  ill  man  too,  but 
Beautiful  doesn't,  because  he  has  made  her  a  fright !  " 
Then  she  trotted  off,  and  Olive  looked  at  Osmond  with 
dancing  eyes. 

"She  has  made  me  feel  young  again,  Diogenes.  I 
don't  think  the  spirit  has  entirely  gone  out  of  me  ! " 

"  I  am  feeling  younger  every  day,"  said  Osmond,  with 
a  happy  sigh.  "  Oh  !  isn't  the  world  beautiful !  It 
sometimes  almost  overpowers  one  !  " 


CHAPTER  IX 

WALKS  AND  TALKS 

He  is  the  happy  man  whose  life  e'en  now 
Shows  somewhat  of  that  happier  life  to  come  ; 
Who  doom'd  to  an  obscure  but  tranquil  state, 
Is  pleased  with  it. — Cowper. 

THE  rector's  wife  soon  called,  with  apologies  for  her 
husband,  who  seldom  was  seen  by  any  of  his  parish- 
ioners except  in  church. 

"And  perhaps  it  is  quite  as  well  so,"  said  his  wife; 
"  for,  as  it  is,  I  have  my  own  way  entirely  in  the  parish, 
and  I  work  best  when  I  am  sole  head.  It  is  a  small 
village,  but  there  are  a  good  many  outlying  farms  and 
cottages,  and  it  takes  me  all  my  time  to  get  round.  Are 
you  a  worker,  Miss  Tracy  ?  " 

"  I — I  don't  know,"  stammered  Olive  ;  "  I  suppose 
I  ought  to  be.  I  should  like  to  be.  I  am  secretly 
lamenting  I  have  so  little  to  do  here." 

Out  came  a  well-worn  pocket-book,  from  Mrs. 
Hunt's  small  bag,  and  she  rapidly  turned  over  the  leaves. 

"  Have  you  a  pencil  and  paper  ?  Thank  you.  Now, 
I  am  going  to  turn  over  Jonas  Wright  to  you.  He  is 
blind  and  old,  and  his  grand-daughter  is  a  shiftless,  un- 
tidy creature.  You  must  go  and  see  him  at  least  once 
a  week.  Read  to  him  and  cheer  him  up.  Scold  his 
grand-daughter,  and  make  her  keep  his  place  tidy.  He 
lives  about  a  mile  from  here  across  the  fields.  A  nice 
walk  for  you.  Wait  a  minute,  I  must  give  you  some 

99 


ioo  OLIVE   TRACY 

one  else.  Do  you  think  you  could  try  your  hand  at  re- 
forming a  drunken  woman,  who  longs  to  give  it  up,  and 
can't  ?  She  has  a  dear  boy  who  is  in  our  choir,  and 
she's  breaking  his  young  heart,  and  saddening  his  life. 
Will  you  try  her  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  I  must,"  said  Olive,  adding  rather  shyly, 
"  I  can  but  point  her  to  the  One  who  really  can  help 
her." 

Mrs.  Hunt's  expressive  face  softened  at  once.  She 
laid  her  hand  on  Olive's  arm. 

"  My  dear  Miss  Tracy,  I  see  you  know  the  remedy 
for  all  the  misery  around  us.  People  think  this  an  ideal 
village.  If  they  knew  all  the  people's  private  histories 
as  I  do,  they  would  say  sin  was  as  rampant  in  the 
country  as  it  is  in  town.  It  is  no  good  telling  weak 
human  nature  to  right  itself;  it  never  will.  We  want  to 
bring  them  to  the  Healer  of  all  weakness  and  frailty ;  we 
want  to  graft  them  on  to  the  overcoming  One." 

Olive's  eyes  glistened ;  she  lost  her  heart  to  Mrs.  Hunt 
there  and  then,  and  a  friendship  was  formed  that  lasted 
through  life. 

When  spoken  to  about  her  small  daughter,  Mrs.  Hunt 
adopted  another  tone. 

"  I  know  the  parish  thinks  I  neglect  her,  but  I 
honestly  don't  understand  children.  I  am  too  severe 
wifh  them,  so  I  find  it  the  best  policy  to  leave  the  young 
monkey  alone.  In  another  year  or  two  I  shall  get  her 
a  governess  and  then  her  training  will  begin.  It  won't 
hurt  her  to  work  off  her  animal  spirits  by  running  wild  a 
little,  she  has  too  strong  a  will  for  me  to  combat,  and  I 
hate  being  worsted  by  a  child." 

Olive  doubted  the  wisdom   of  this  training,  but   she 


WALKS   AND   TALKS  101 

liked  Mrs.  Hunt's  honest  frankness,  and  gladly  promised 
to  visit  one  or  two  other  parishioners  besides  the  ones 
already  mentioned.  She  was  amused  at  a  little  passage 
of  arms  Mrs.  Hunt  had  on  leaving,  with  the  old  farmer, 
who  met  her  at  the  gate. 

"Ah,  Andrew,  so  glad  to  meet  you.  For  I've  for- 
gotten to  leave  this  month's  magazine  for  your  wife. 
Will  you  take  it  to  her  ?  " 

Andrew  took  off  his  hat  and  rubbed  his  head  doubt- 
fully. 

"  A  dussn't  want  to  be  onceevil,  mum,"  he  said  ;  "  but 
wife  be  far  too  sensible  to  fill  up  her  head  wi'  such  rub- 
bish, an'  a  would  as  lief  throw  it  to  the  pigs  as  stuff  her 
wi'  it  !  " 

"  Now,  Andrew,  what  narrow-minded  bigotry  !  You 
don't  know  how  to  read  yourself,  and  you  want  to  keep 
every  one  else  in  the  same  ignorance !  For  shame ! 
Your  sister  must  take  you  in  hand.  She  always  likes  to 
hear  the  parish  news,  if  you  don't !  " 

"  Ay,  she  do,  but  a  can  bring  'er  more  of  that  than 
the  rector  would  like  to  put  down  in  that  there  paper 
book  !  A  has  my  eyes  and  ears,  thank  God,  and  a  makes 
better  use  on  'em  than  to  squint  an'  screw  'em  on  a 
black  mass  o'  words,  an'  then  get  no  more,  an'  not  so 
much,  as  in  the  Red  Lion  on  market  days.  Wife  shan't 
have  'er  eyes  blinded,  and  her  mind  crooked,  by  such 
tomfoolery.  A'll  take  the  paper  to  Bess,  poor  silly 
craytur' ;  she  were  tellin'  on  us  there  were  a  love  story 
runnin'  thro'  it.  Do  'ee  think,  as  our  rector's  wife,  as 
it  be  seemly  to  be  propagatin'  such  made  up  fancical 
things  now  ? " 

"Well,"  said  Mrs.  Hunt,  not  a  bit  taken  aback,  "I 


102  OLIVE   TRACY 

don't  expect  you  thought  it  '  fancical  rubbish  '  when  you 
were  courting  your  wife,  did  you  ?  Do  you  remember 
that  time,  Andrew  ?  " 

Andrew  grinned  from  ear  to  ear. 

"  Ay,  don't  a  just !  A  cotched  'er  comin'  home  from 
church ;  an'  a  stood  by  the  stile,  an'  wouldn't  let  'er  by 
till  she  said  cyes.' ' 

"  Now,  you  go  in  and  ask  her  if  that  love  story  was 
tomfoolery.  Good-afternoon." 

With  brisk  steps  Mrs.  Hunt  disappeared,  and  Andrew, 
holding  the  parish  magazine  by  the  extremity  of  two 
ringers,  went  into  the  kitchen  and  flung  it  on  the  table  in 
disgust. 

Bess  was  ironing.  She  had  heard  the  conversation, 
but  except  by  a  twinkle  in  her  eyes,  did  not  betray  it. 

"  There's  your  time  waster,  Bess.  A've  been  a  tellin' 
the  rector's  wife  a  bit  o'  my  mind  consarnin'  it." 

"  I  hope  she  is  wiser  for  it,"  said  Bess  good- 
humouredly. 

Andrew  looked  at  her ;  then  with  a  shrug  of  his 
shoulders  went  out  to  find  his  wife,  without  another 
word. 

One  afternoon  soon  after  this  Lady  Muriel  came 
riding  over  with  her  groom.  She  was  delighted  with  the 
farm,  and  explored  every  nook  and  corner  with  the  curi- 
osity of  a  child.  When  she  was  enjoying  a  cup  of  tea 
in  the  old-fashioned  parlour,  Olive  said  : 

"  Give  us  some  news  of  Brackenbury,  Dot.  Diogenes 
and  I  feel  quite  out  of  the  world  here." 

"Ah,"  said  Muriel  laughing;  "you  wouldn't  call  this 
out  of  the  world  if  you  had  ever  been  through  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  I  thought  I  never  could  stand  it  at  first, 


WALKS   AND   TALKS  103 

but,  do  you  know,  after  a  time  you  almost  lose  interest 
in  the  outside  world,  for  your  own  adventures  and 
experiences  are  so  absorbing  that  you  never  think  of 
anything  else.  I'm  afraid  it  is  rather  bad  for  one. 
What  do  you  think,  Diogenes  ?  " 

"  I  think  travellers  can  be  exempt  from  the  charge  of 
selfishness  and  narrow-mindedness.  I  have  known  some 
people  who  live  in  the  midst  of  everything  who  yet  are 
so  absorbed  in  their  own  affairs  that  they  take  no  inter- 
est in  any  one  or  anything  else.  That  is  inexcusable,  I 
think." 

"  Our  dear  Andrew  is  rather  of  that  type,"  said  Olive, 
with  a  little  laugh ;  "  and  yet  how  I  enjoy  his  intolerance 
of  anything  that  happens  outside  his  radius.  It  is  so 
original  and  uncommon." 

41  Perhaps  we  shall  fall  into  the  same  snare." 

"  Never,  as  long  as  we  have  our  daily  paper  and 
post." 

Olive's  tone  was  emphatic. 

"Well,"  said  Muriel,  "I  must  try  and  widen  your 
interests  while  I  am  here.  I  was  calling  on  Lady 
Crofton  yesterday,  Olive.  She  is  not  very  well,  and  she 
misses  you  very  much ;  she  said  so.  She  was  talking  to 
me  about  her  sons,  and  has  got  it  into  her  head  that 
Duke  has  lost  his  heart  to  an  English  girl  out  there.  I 
told  her  I  thought  it  was  much  more  likely  to  be  Mark, 
but  strangely  enough  father  brought  home  some  friend 
of  his  to  dine  last  night,  an  African  explorer,  who  has 
just  come  home  from  the  Cape,  and  he  said  pretty  much 
the  same  thing,  that  he  had  heard  Captain  Crofton  was 
engaged.  Do  you  believe  it  ?  Somehow  or  other  I 
never  can  think  Duke  the  kind  of  man  to  fall  in  love 


104 OLIVE   TRACY 

suddenly,  and  rush  into  an  engagement.  He  seems  too 
steadfast  and  reliable." 

"  I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it,"  Osmond  said  vehe- 
mently. 

Olive  smiled,  but  said  nothing.  After  tea  she  and 
Muriel  went  out  into  the  garden  and  paced  the  walks 
arm-in-arm.  Olive  chatted  away  in  good  spirits.  Muriel 
turned  upon  her  suddenly  : 

"  Olive,  you  are  different  to  what  you  used  to  be. 
What  is  it  ?  Don't  get  sober  and  strait-laced.  I  know 
all  you  have  gone  through,  but  I  hope  it  hasn't  quenched 
your  fun." 

"  Does  it  seem  like  it  ?  "  said  Olive  lightly. 

"  Yes,  your  laugh  rings  false,  and  your  fun  is  put  on." 

"  Oh,  don't  accuse  me  of  such  deceit." 

"  Well,  be  serious  for  a  minute." 

"  But  you  were  begging  me  not  to  be  a  minute  ago. 
How  can  I  know  how  to  please  you  ?  " 

"  You  know  what  I  mean.  I  want  you  to  be  your 
own  natural  self  with  me." 

Then  Olive  dropped  her  bantering  tone. 

"  I  have  been  through  a  good  deal,  Dot,  more  than  I 
hope  you  will  ever  go  through.  I  have  been  in  the 
depths,  and  have  stayed  there  till  I  was  all  but  lost,  and 
then  I  was  rescued,  and  have  come  out  into  a  wonderful 
calm.  I  think  a  few  months  ago  I  was  like  Undine, 
without  a  soul,  and  now  I  have  found  I  have  one." 

Muriel  squeezed  her  friend's  arm  and  looked  away 
into  the  soft  blue  above  her.  She  was  a  girl  of  few 
words  when  she  felt  the  deepest. 

"  But  your  experience  must  be  a  happy  one  now  ?  " 
she  hazarded. 


WALKS   AND   TALKS  105 

"  Oh,  yes,"  and  a  clear  light  shone  in  Olive's  blue 
eyes ;  "  but,  to  speak  frankly,  I  am  rather  worrying  over 
my  future.  I  don't  say  much  to  Diogenes,  who  takes 
life  very  placidly,  and  seems  to  think  we  shall  be  a  fixture 
here ;  but  when  the  autumn  comes  I  must  leave  him  and 
earn  my  livelihood  in  some  way." 

"  Oh,  Olive  !  surely  that  is  not  necessary  ?  " 

"  Indeed,  it  is,  but  how  to  set  to  work  is  difficult.  I 
am  not  clever;  I  cannot  teach,  nor  type-write,  nor 
book-keep.  I  lie  awake  at  night  and  turn  it  over  in  my 
mind.  For  I  must  be  arranging  something  soon.  I 
have  no  talent  for  dressmaking  nor  millinery.  I  don't 
think  I  have  the  enterprise  to  start  a  shop.  I  am  not 
suited  to  be  a  companion.  I  am  not  staid  or  patient 
enough." 

Muriel  looked  grave. 

"  It  seems  so  dreadful  after  your  happy  home  life.  I 
used  to  envy  you  so." 

"Well,"  said  Olive  bravely,  "we  have  it  to  look 
back  to,  and  that  is  a  comfort.  If  only  Elsie's  future 
were  settled,  I  should  not  mind  so  much  for  myself." 

"Oh,  she  will  live  with  your  sister  Vinny  ;  she  will 
get  so  accustomed  to  have  her  that  she  will  not  let  her 
go  again." 

Olive  smiled,  but  shook  her  head. 

"  I  won't  be  dismal,"  she  said  after  a  minute's  silence. 
"  I  am  not  so  really,  only  a  little  anxious.  I  have  a 
great  deal  to  make  me  happy.  I  shall  wake  up  one 
morning  with  a  brilliant  idea  for  my  future.  And  you 
will  find  me  perhaps  outraging  all  my  friends'  sense  of 
propriety.  I  have  a  bold  idea  in  the  back  of  my  head, 
but  it  wants  capital  to  put  into  execution." 


io6  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  Do  tell  me,  I  know  it  is  something  funny  !  " 

"  It  is  to  fit  up  an  ordinary  gipsy  van,  and  have  a  very 
good  cooking  stove  inside.  Then  go  round  in  it,  on  a 
kind  of  tour  through  country  towns  and  villages,  and 
cook  cheap  dinners  for  the  British  workman.  I'm  a 
very  good  cook,  you  know,  and  an  economical  one. 
Then  for  twopence  a  lesson  I  would  teach  any  wife  how 
to  make  a  favourite  dish,  and  I'm  sure  it  would  be  a 
philanthropic  enterprise,  wouldn't  it?  Mrs.  Hunt,  our 
rector's  wife  here,  informs  me  that  nine-tenths  of  the  men 
are  made  drunkards  through  bad  cooking.  I'm  not  so  sure 
about  it  being  a  paying  concern.  What  do  you  think  ?  " 

"I  think  it  would  be  splendid,"  said  Muriel  enthusias- 
tically ;  "  and  such  adventures  you  would  have  !  Would 
you  go  quite  alone  ?  " 

"  No,  I  should  have  a  respectable  youth  with  me,  who 
would  look  after  the  horse  and  van ;  and  I  should  invite 
a  friend  from  time  to  time  to  join  me." 

"  I'm  afraid  it  wouldn't  pay,"  said  Muriel,  with  a 
wise  little  shake  of  her  head  ;  "  but  it  would  be  a  deli- 
cious thing  to  do.  And  if  you  were  to  cook  dinners  for 
the  men,  you  should  cook  hot  scones  and  tea  cakes  for 
the  women's  tea  !  " 

Olive  laughed  merrily. 

"  And  then  make  sweets  for  the  children.  I  wish  I 
could !  " 

"  I  shall  think  it  over,"  said  Muriel  laughing,  "  and 
see  if  it  could  not  be  managed.  Now  I  must  go.  You 
will  come  over  and  see  me  soon,  won't  you  ? " 

"  I  have  promised  Lady  Crofton  to  go  over  to  her 
next  week ;  perhaps  I  had  better  not  try  to  see  you  the 
same  day,  but  I  will  come  as  soon  as  ever  I  can." 


WALKS   AND   TALKS  107 

When  Muriel  had  ridden  off,  Olive  put  on  her  hat 
and  went  out  for  a  walk.  There  were  times  when, 
much  as  she  loved  the  farm  and  its  surroundings,  she 
felt  she  must  get  away  from  it.  Her  inactive  life  at 
present  chafed  her  sorely.  She  was  thankful  for  the 
little  bit  of  parish  work  that  Mrs.  Hunt  had  given  her, 
but  felt  it  inadequate  to  satisfy  the  energy  of  her  nature. 

Now  as  she  tramped  along  the  country  lanes  her 
thoughts  were  very  busy. 

"  I  don't  think  I  could  stand  it,"  she  mused,  "  if  I 
had  not  underneath  it  all  such  comfort  and  rest.  I  re- 
member Diogenes'  words,  the  night  that  Duke  came  to 
wish  us  good-bye.  '  It  is  so  grand  to  feel  that  storms 
may  come  and  go,  but  nothing  can  wrench  you  from 
your  anchor,  no  uncertainty,  no  upheaval,  deep  down, 
always  the  same  sure,  certain  rest ! '  I  remember  I 
thought  it  so  priggish,  and  said  I  wasn't  in  want  of  rest, 
and  couldn't  understand  such  sentiments.  How  little  I 
thought  within  a  few  short  months  what  we  should  have 
to  go  through ;  mother,  home,  the  comforts  of  family 
life,  all  taken  away  with  one  swoop !  And  yet  how 
much  I  have  gained  !  If  the  whole  world  were  swept 
away,  I  should  still  have  a  foothold  ;  an  abiding  place  ; 
and  a  Friend  who  will  never  leave  me  ! " 

She  raised  her  eyes  to  the  blue  heavens  above,  and  felt 
a  thrill  run  through  her  as  she  thought  of  the  future  in 
store  for  her. 

"What  does  anything  matter,"  she  thought;  "we 
are  only  here  such  a  little  bit  of  our  life  •,  and  then  there 
is  all  eternity  to  be  happy  in." 

She  walked  on  brightened  by  such  thoughts ;  and  then 
as  one  often  does,  came  back  with  a  bound  to  earth  again. 


108  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  What  a  ridiculous  report  about  Duke  !  How  could 
it  have  got  about  ?  Of  course,  the  two  brothers  have 
been  mistaken  one  for  the  other.  It  must  be  Mark,  if 
either  is  engaged."  She  thought  of  Duke's  look  and 
parting  words ;  and  her  cheeks  flushed  as  she  repeated 
them  softly  to  herself:  "God  bless  and  keep  you  darl- 
ing, and  bring  us  together  one  day." 

Then  passionately  and  fervently,  with  the  dull  ach- 
ing of  a  heart  separated  from  the  one  it  loves,  she 
prayed  aloud,  knowing  no  human  creature  was  within 
hearing. 

"  Oh,  God,  answer  his  prayer.  Thou  hast  answered 
part.  Thou  hast  blessed  me,  even  through  dark  trouble 
Thou  art  keeping  me.  Bring  us  together  again.  I  will 
not  love  Thee  less,  I  cannot,  but,  oh,  let  him  know  that 
I  return  his  love."  And  having  prayed  she  was  com- 
forted. 

The  summer  'days  came  and  passed.  Olive  took 
great  interest  in  her  poor  people,  and  she  came  home 
from  her  visiting  one  day  in  great  delight  at  having  dis- 
covered that  a  farmer's  widow  in  reduced  circumstances 
had  a  son  in  the  same  regiment  as  Eddie.  Moreover,  it 
turned  out  that  this  son  was  the  identical  "  Giles " 
whom  Eddie  had  taken  as  his  servant,  and  who  was  so 
devoted  to  him. 

"  Isn't  the  world  small  ?  "  she  exclaimed  to  Osmond, 
coming  breathlessly  into  the  sitting-room  to  tell  him 
about  it.  "  Mrs.  Giles  gave  me  a  letter  to  read,  and  that 
made  me  discover  it.  He  is  such  a  good,  steady  boy, 
she  says,  and  a  great  comfort  to  her.  It  is  strange  how 
these  country  people  seem  to  view  the  army.  Mrs.  Giles 
said  she  felt  she  could  never  lift  up  her  head  again  when 


WALKS   AND   TALKS  109 

he  came  home  from  market  one  day  and  told  her  he  had 
enlisted.  And  she  added, '  'Tis  a  good  thing  to  have  no 
pride,  I  reckon  !  When  I  had  to  leave  the  farm,  it  was 
a  blow,  and  the  neighbours'  pity  was  hard  to  bear,  but 
when  Frank  went  for  a  soldier  their  contempt  was  down- 
right insultin',  and  I  felt  as  if  my  boy  and  me  had  sunk 
to  the  lowest  level.'  I  told  her  how  proud  I  was  of 
having  my  brother  in  the  -army,  but  nothing  seemed  to 
comfort  her  except  his  steadiness." 

"  It  almost  needs  a  war  to  show  the  worth  of  our 
soldiers,"  said  Osmond  thoughtfully.  "  And  I  think  we 
are  not  far  off  one.  This  Transvaal  affair  will  never  be 
settled  satisfactorily  without  it.  And  all  these  reinforce- 
ments that  are  being  sent  out  means  business.  You  have 
been  too  busy  to  look  at  the  papers  to-day,  but  the 
Transvaal  Government  have  offered  the  five  years'  fran- 
chise for  Uitlanders  that  Chamberlain  has  asked  for,  but 
they  have  coupled  it  with  the  abolition  of  the  suze- 
rainty !  " 

"  And  that  we  shall  never  grant !  "  said  Olive.  "  Oh, 
dear,  how  dreadful !  Lady  Crofton  told  me  that  Duke's 
last  letter  home  was  full  of  it.  He  says  the  Boers  are 
getting  ready  for  war  far  quicker  than  we  are.  I  wish, 
for  his  mother's  sake,  that  he  had  never  gone  out  there. 
Of  course,  it  was  her  wish,  but  she  is  getting  very  un- 
easy now." 

"A  soldier's  business  is  to  fight." 

"  Yes,  of  course,  and  one  would  not  keep  him  back. 
I  suppose  Eddie  may  be  called  to  go  if  there  is  fighting 
out  there.  I  remember  Colonel  Holmes  saying  last 
spring,  that  if  we  came  to  war  in  the  Transvaal,  we 
should  want  every  cavalry  regiment  we  had  out  there. 


no  OLIVE   TRACY 

Well,  I  must  not  stay  talking  about  it,  as  I  want  to  go 
down  to  the  village  and  post  a  letter  before  tea." 

She  left  the  house  with  a  grave  face,  and  her  walk  was 
taken  with  very  unquiet  thoughts. 

When  she  returned  to  the  farm  about  an  hour  after, 
she  was  met  at  the  gate  by  Andrew  and  his  wife.  Bess, 
in  the  background,  was  apparently  weeding  a  flower-bed 
of  some  groundsel,  but  her  look  of  anxiety  towards  Olive 
showed  that  she  too  was  waiting  for  her  arrival. 

"  A  tallygram,  miss,"  said  Andrew,  waiving  the  yel- 
low envelope  in  his  hand ;  "  the  boy  brought  it  nigh  on 
half  a  hour  ago  ;  and  ye  couldn't  be  found  nowhere." 

"  I'm  all  of  a  trimble,"  ejaculated  Mrs.  March ;  "  I 
went  in  to  Mister,  and  he  says,  '  Lay  it  on  the  table, 
she'll  be  in  soon,'  as  cool  as  if  it  were  the  tea  tray  I 
were  a  bringing  in  !  Us  haven't  had  a  tallygram  at  this 
house,  since  Andrew's  father  were  thrown  from  his 
horse,  and  were  not  expected  to  last  the  hour." 

"  And  if  it  ain't  bad  news,  it  ought  to  be,"  said  the 
farmer  emphatically  ;  "  for  that  there  lad  have  walked 
five  miles  to  bring  it,  and  he  said  it  were  swelterin' ! " 

"  There,  Andrew,"  put  in  Bess,  quietly  edging  to  the 
group,  and  disclosing  a  large  bottle  of  salts  in  one  hand 
and  a  fan  in  the  other;  "  do  go  in  and  leave  Miss  Tracy 
to  me.  And  if  she  do  faint  at  the  news,  I  have  the  cor- 
rect remedies  at  hand." 

Through  this  running  fire  of  comments,  Olive  had 
read  her  telegram  and  pocketed  it.  She  gazed  at  Bess 
in  wonder,  as  she  approached  her;  and  with  difficulty 
suppressed  a  smile. 

"  Don't  be  alarmed,"  she  said  ;  "  it  is  not  good  news, 
but  it  is  not  very  bad.  A  friend  of  mine  wants  to  see 


WALKS   AND   TALKS  in 

me  at  once ;  she  is  not  well,  but  I  don't  think  it  is  very 
serious." 

She  passed  them  quickly  without  another  word,  and 
ran  in  to  Osmond. 

"  Diogenes,  this  is  from  Lady  Crofton's  maid.  Do 
you  think  Lady  Crofton  is  really  ill  ?  Read  it." 

Osmond  looked  up  a  little  wearily.  He  had  been 
having  one  of  his  bad  days,  and  had  hardly  taken  in  that 
a  telegram  had  arrived.  He  took  it  in  his  hand  and 
read  : 

"  Mistress  wants  to  see  you.     She  has  influenza." 

"You  must  go,"  he  said  quietly,  "but  you  cannot 
start  to-night." 

"  No,  I  suppose  not,  for  there  is  no  train.  I  must 
catch  the  early  one  in  the  morning.  There  is  one  at 
eight  o'clock.  I  hope  she  is  not  really  ill.  Influenza 
is  so  serious  with  people  of  her  age." 

Then  she  told  him  of  the  perturbation  of  the  farmer 
and  his  wife  ;  and  they  laughed  together  over  the  quaint- 
ness  of  her  greeting  by  them. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE    VALLEY    OF     SHADOWS 

• 

Human  companionship  counts  for  very  much  in  life ;  but  I  think 
there  is  no  doubt  that  the  sharpest  corners  must  always  be  turned 
alone. — F.  F.  Montresor. 

ANDREW  was  quite  willing  to  drive  Olive  himself  in 
his  trap  to  the  station  the  next  morning.  He  gave  her  a 
lot  of  good  advice,  and  amused  her  by  his  graphic  and 
intelligent  remarks  on  the  country  through  which  they 
passed.  Every  field  was  known  to  him  ;  every  bad  point 
and  weakness  in  it  was  seized  hold  of  and  pointed  out 
with  a  history  of  the  owner.  He  wound  up  by  saying, 
as  they  neared  the  station  :  "  Earth  is  a  wonderful  payin' 
investment,  prop'ly  managed ;  for  a  do  allow  it  be  a  bit 
contrary  at  times,  an'  wants  to  be  coaxed  an'  humoured 
a  bit,  but  them  that  knows  the  vally  of  it,  why,  they  be 
fools  to  part  with  it,  or  let  chaps  that  get  their  learnin' 
from  trashy  books  put  their  fingers  to  it."  Here  came 
a  snort  of  disgust. 

"  Why,  miss,  would  'ee  b'lieve  it  ?  A've  knowed  a 
fine  Lunnon  gent  that  never  breathed  a  twenty-four 
hours  of  good  country  air  in  his  life,  retire  from  busi- 
ness, buy  a  prop'ty,  an'  come  down  an'  giv'  out  that  he 
be  a-goin'  to  farm  his  own  estate  !  Yes,  a've  a-knowed 
such  a  one  !  Set  a  new-born  babby  at  it  an'  the  little 
'un  would  do  as  well !  A  doant  think  o'  walkin'  up  to 
Lunnon  one  fine  day  an'  applyin'  to  be  Prime  Minister; 

112 


THE   VALLEY   OF   SHADOWS          113 

or  yet  rig  myself  in  a  uniform  an'  insist  on  actin'  for  the 
Commander-in-Chief !  Every  one  to  what  they  have 
a-bin  brought  up  to,  says  a  !  Pigs  can't  fly,  and  larks 
can't  grunt ! " 

With  such  talk  the  drive  seemed  a  short  one.  Olive 
reached  Crofton  Court  about  half-past  nine.  She  was 
met  on  the  door-step  by  Lady  Crofton's  maid,  Baker 
by  name.  Her  face  showed  visible  signs  of  distress. 

"  Oh,  Miss  Tracy,  I'm  glad  to  see  you.  Her  lady- 
ship is  very  ill,  and  she  has  been  wearyin'  for  a  sight  of 
you." 

"Tell  me  about  it,"  said  Olive  gravely,  as  she 
ascended  the  stairs  towards  Lady  Crofton's  bedroom. 

"You  must  have  some  breakfast  first,  miss,  before 
you  go  to  her.  The  doctor  is  in  there  now,  and  we 
have  a  trained  nurse,  who  fusses  a  good  deal  and  does 
little." 

Baker  led  the  way  to  Lady  Crofton's  boudoir,  where 
a  dainty  breakfast  had  been  set  out. 

"  I  knew  you  would  be  here  early  when  you  didn't 
come  last  night,"  continued  Baker,  who  seemed  thank- 
ful to  have  some  one  to  talk  to.  "  It  has  been  so  sud- 
den, I  feel  in  a  whirl.  She  complained  of  her  head  two 
or  three  days  ago,  and  then  pains  over  her  body,  and 
she's  been  in  high  fever  on  and  ofF  since  yesterday  morn- 
ing. A  letter  came  from  Captain  Crofton.  She  was 
better,  and  she  read  it  all  through  herself,  and  it  was  a 
long  one,  and  then  she  said,  '  I  must  see  Miss  Tracy, 
Baker,  at  once ;  she  must  hear  this,  send  for  her.'  I 
said  I  would  write,  and  I  did  so.  She  kept  the  letter 
under  her  pillow,  and  got  very  excited  and  almost  un- 
conscious towards  the  middle  of  the  day.  We  sent  for 


n4  OLIVE   TRACY 

the  doctor  again,  and  he  telegraphed  for  a  nurse.  But 
when  she  kept  on  calling  for  you,  I  telegraphed  on  my 
own  account.  And  she  seems  to  have  gradually  got 
worse  since." 

"  Was  there  bad  news  in  the  letter  ?  " 

"  I  don't  rightly  know,  except  she  told  me  that  Cap- 
tain Crofton  might  be  very  soon  called  out  to  fight,  but 
that  didn't  seem  to  distress  her.  And  Mr.  Mark  is 
leaving  where  he  is,  but  there  is  something  more.  She 
has  kept  mentioning  a  young  lady's  name  that  I  don't 
know." 

"  Oh,  well,  I  shall  see  the  letter,"  said  Olive  con- 
fidently, knowing  that  Lady  Crofton  always  handed  them 
over  to  her. 

"  But,  Miss  Tracy,  I  haven't  told  you  yet.  Her 
lady-ship  was  restless  last  night;  she  had  this  letter  in 
her  hand,  and — you  know  her  whim  of  having  a  night 
light  on  the  little  table  close  to  her — somehow  or  other 
she  placed  the  letter  too  near  the  light.  It  caught  fire, 
and  the  nurse  just  seized  it  and  threw  it  into  the  grate, 
where  it  was  burnt  to  pieces.  And  ever  since  her  lady- 
ship has  been  asking  for  it  and  fretting  for  it.  The 
nurse  took  a  letter  out  of  her  own  pocket,  doubled  it  up, 
and  gave  it  to  her.  I  don't  like  such  deceit,  but  it  has 
quieted  her,  and  if  she  gives  the  letter  to  you  to  read  you 
will  understand." 

Olive's  face  looked  sober.  She  had  been  counting 
upon  seeing  the  handwriting  again  of  the  one  always  in 
her  thoughts.  Fond  as  she  was  of  Lady  Crofton,  the 
pleasure  of  being  with  her  was  always  enhanced  by  the 
chance  of  seeing  his  letters,  and  talking  about  him.  She 
followed  Baker  very  silently  into  the  sick  room  a  short 


THE   VALLEY   OF   SHADOWS          115 

time  afterwards,  and  was  shocked  at  the  appearance  of 
her  old  friend,  who  hardly  recognised  her.  Her  bright 
eyes  and  feverish  cheeks,  and  the  rapid  murmuring  to 
herself,  all  showed  that  she  was  in  high  fever.  It  was 
only  on  the  chance  of  quieting  her,  that  Olive  was  al- 
lowed to  be  with  her.  She  sat  down  quietly  by  the 
bed  ;  and  very  soon  Lady  Crofton  lifted  her  head 
eagerly : 

"  Is  Olive  here  ?  " 

"Yes,  dear  Lady  Crofton,  I  am." 

Olive's  clear  soft  voice  made  itself  known  at  once. 
Lady  Crofton  laid  her  hand  on  hers  with  a  pleased  smile, 
and  full  consciousness  seemed  to  return  to  her. 

"  I  feel  so  ill,"  she  said  ;  "  and  I  have  been  wanting 
you  such  a  long  time.  There  is  Duke's  letter,  you 
know — it  seems  so  sudden — you  must  break  the  news  to 
my  husband." 

She  seemed  to  get  a  little  agitated,  then  fumbled  under 
her  pillow,  and  presented  Olive  with  the  crushed  letter 
that  had  been  given  her. 

"  Read  it — he  is  married  already — I  told  you  so,  and 
to  one  of  those  girls — what  is  her  name  ?  Some  fanciful 
one — Coral — no  Cora.  He  is  going  to  send  her  home 
at  once,  and  wants  her  to  come  here.  She  can't  stay 
out  there — the  whole  country  is  so  unsettled — they  are 
getting  ready  for  war  ! " 

"  Is  Duke  married  ?  "  asked  Olive,  very  slowly  and 
deliberately. 

"  Yes — I  told  you  so — Cora  her  name  is — and  Mark 
— Mark — I  want  you  to  tell  Sir  Marmaduke — oh  !  my 
head  !  " 

The  nurse  came  forward. 


n6  OLIVE   TRACY 

"You  must  go,"  she  said  to  Olive  in  alow  voice; 
"  it  is  too  much  for  her." 

Olive  rose  immediately  ;  but  Lady  Crofton  raised  a 
face  of  piteous  entreaty. 

"You  will  make  it  right,  Olive?  You  will  welcome 
her,  and  make  it  right  with  Sir  Marmaduke  ?  " 

Olive  bent  over  her,  and  kissed  her  with  a  bright 
smile. 

"  I  will  make  everything  right  that  I  can,  don't  you 
worry.  I  will  tell  Sir  Marmaduke.  You  try  and  get  to 
sleep.  I  do  hope  you  will  be  better  soon." 

Lady  Crofton  dropped  her  head  on  her  pillow  with  a 
sigh  of  relief,  and  Olive  went  out  of  the  room  dazed 
and  bewildered — her  heart  like  a  stone. 

Osmond  was  not  surprised  when  he  received  a  letter 
from  her  to  tell  him  not  to  expect  her  back  for  a  few 
days;  for  when  he  heard  how  ill  Lady  Crofton  really 
was,  he  felt  sure  that  Olive  would  not  leave  her.  The 
Croftons  had  very  few  relatives ;  no  nieces  to  come  and 
look  after  them ;  and  for  years  Olive  had  been  in 
and  out,  until  they  almost  got  to  look  upon  her  as  one  of 
the  family.  And  combined  events  kept  Olive  at  Crof- 
ton Court  for  a  good  three  weeks. 

Lady  Crofton  never  rallied,  but  quietly  sank  into  un- 
consciousness, and  passed  away  in  her  sleep.  Sir  Mar- 
maduke seemed  quite  overwhelmed  by  his  loss ;  and 
clung  to  Olive,  refusing  to  let  her  leave  him.  Some 
distant  cousins,  and  a  good  many  friends,  attended  the 
funeral,  but  the  old  man  would  see  no  one  but  Olive. 
It  was  pathetic  to  see  how  he  watched  for  her,  and  how 
troubled  he  was  when  she  was  long  away.  At  last  she 
was  able  to  leave  him,  after  promising  to  return  in  a  few 


THE   VALLEY   OF   SHADOWS          117 

days'  time.  When  she  went  in  to  wish  him  good-bye, 
he  held  her  hand  as  if  he  could  never  let  it  go. 

"  You  are  certain  to  come  back  to  me  ?  " 

"  I  quite  hope  to  do  so,  and  shall  not  leave  you  till 
your  daughter-in-law  arrives.  Perhaps  she  may  be  here 
soon.  I  wish  we  knew  more  particulars." 

"  I  would  not  have  her  here  except  for  Duke's  sake," 
murmured  the  old  man.  "  I  do  not  take  to  strangers, 
but  Duke  is  not  Mark.  I  would  not  receive  his  wife  ! 
Mark,  I  am  thankful  to  say,  hasn't  plunged  into  that 
folly  yet.  I  doubt  if  he  would  get  any  respectable  girl 
to  marry  him  !  " 

"  Oh,  hush  !  "  said  Olive.  "  He  may  be  keeping 
steady  now.  You  have  not  heard  to  the  contrary." 

"I  cannot  read  their  letters,"  he  said.  "My  dear 
wife  always  used  to  read  them  to  me,  but  I  know  she  re- 
served bits  to  herself.  She  never  let  me  hear  the  worst 
of  Mark.  I  fancy  things  have  not  been  as  they  should 
be  with  him  lately." 

He  spoke  slowly  and  with  difficulty,  and  Olive  came 
away  touched  to  the  heart  by  his  weakness  and  loneli- 
ness. 

Osmond  had  been  having  a  very  quiet  time ;  but  his 
solitude  had  been  enlivened  by  several  visits  from  little 
Ida  Hunt.  She  gradually  'began  to  look  upon  him  as  her 
special  charge,  and  when  one  evening  her  father  turned 
to  her  mother,  and  said  : 

"  Well,  my  dear,  and  which  of  your  parishioners  have 
you  seen  to-day  ?  "  Ida  broke  in  eagerly  : 

u  I've  been  to  see  a  parish'ner  of  mine  to-day ;  I've 
got  him  all  to  myself,  and  I'm  going  to  keep  him,  too. 
Beautiful  thinks  him  lovely  !  " 


ii8  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  Who  is  he  ?  "  asked  the  rector  smiling.  He  dearly 
loved  to  hear  his  little  daughter  talk. 

"  He's  the  ill  man  at  Mrs.  March's.  He  likes  me  to 
come  and  see  him,  and  he  knows  how  to  laugh  and  make 
fun !  " 

"  I  am  afraid  you  are  bothering  him,"  said  Mrs.  Hunt, 
regarding  her  child  with  curious  eyes. 

"  But  that's  proper,"  said  Ida  gravely ;  "  that's  what 
Mrs.  Smith  told  Delia  you  did,  and  I  asked  Delia  what 
4  bothering  '  meant,  and  she  said  just  talking." 

Mrs.  Hunt  discreetly  changed  the  subject.  Ida's  in- 
nocent face  could  not  give  offence;  but  the  mother  did 
not  care  to  hear  some  of  the  villagers'  opinion  of  her 
through  her  child's  lips. 

The  little  girl  was  over  at  the  farm  early  in  the  after- 
noon, when  Olive  was  expected  back.  She  picked  a 
wonderful  nosegay  of  flowers  from  her  own  little  garden 
at  the  rectory,  and  brought  them  over,  rather  the  worse 
for  being  so  long  in  the  grasp  of  her  hot  little  hands. 

"  There  !  "  she  said,  standing  on  tiptoe  to  arrange 
them  in  one  of  Mrs.  March's  best  china  mugs.  "  That's 
to  say  how  do  you  do,  Miss  Tracy.  And  the  little  rose- 
bud is  peeping  over  the  geranium,  and  the  pansies  are 
looking  through  the  Sweet  William,  because  they  want 
to  see  her  first." 

Having  arranged  them  to  her  satisfaction,  she  began 
to  tidy  Beautiful,  and  she  sat  down  on  the  floor  by  Os- 
mond's couch  to  do  so,  chatting  away  the  while. 

"  I  wish  I  could  have  a  nice  name  for  you,"  she  said, 
looking  up  at  Osmond.  "  I  call  you  '  Mister'  like  Mr. 
March  does.  You  see,  I  don't  see  many  gempleums,  so 
I  don't  know  what  to  call  them." 


THE   VALLEY   OF   SHADOWS          119 

"  It  is  rather  awkward,"  said  Osmond  gravely. 

"  The  only  gempleums  I  know,"  pursued  Ida  turning 
Beautiful  over  on  her  back  and  tying  her  blue  sash  with 
great  care,  "  are  uncles.  What  are  ill  people  called  ?  " 

"  Sometimes  invalids,  convalescents,  patients,  some- 
times humbugs  !  " 

"  I  think  I'll  call  you  Uncle  Humbug  !  " 

"  First  rate.     I'm  delighted  to  have  such  a  name." 

"  Uncle  Humbug,  why  can't  God  mend  your  legs?  " 

Ida  was  remarkable  for  her  sudden  turns  of  thought. 

"  He  is  going  to  one  day,"  said  Osmond  cheerfully. 

"  Why  isn't  He  quicker  ?  " 

"  Because  He  wants  me  to  lie  here  a  little  longer." 

"  When  I'm  a  grown-up  lady,"  said  Ida  with  big 
grave  eyes,  "  I  think  I'll  marry  you,  and  take  care  of 
you,  only  you'll  have  to  be  very  kind  to  Beautiful." 

The  sound  of  wheels  made  her  start  to  the  door,  and 
a  minute  after  Olive  came  in.  She  greeted  Osmond 
warmly,  almost  brightly ;  and  took  Ida  up  in  her  lap, 
listening  to  her  chatter.  When  the  child  left  them  a 
little  later,  Olive  sat  down  at  the  tea  tray,  and  told  Os- 
mond in  quiet  even  tones  about  the  bereaved  household 
which  she  had  just  left.  But  she  kept  back  her  biggest 
bit  of  news,  which  she  had  never  had  the  courage  to 
write. 

She  waited  till  dusk  had  fallen,  and  she  was  sitting  by 
the  open  window  watching  the  crescent  of  a  new  moon 
rise  on  the  other  side  of  the  valley.  Somehow  or  other, 
Olive  always  had  grappled  with  her  difficulties  at  an 
open  window. 

She  spoke  suddenly,  breaking  a  silence  that  had  fallen 
upon  both  of  them. 


120  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  When  did  you  last  hear  from  Duke  ?  "  she  asked. 

"Not  very  lately,"  replied  Osmond  with  interest. 
"  I  wrote,  if  you  remember,  in  answer  to  his  letter  of 
sympathy  directly  we  came  here.  I  gave  him  a  message 
of  thanks  from  you  at  the  same  time.  I  have  had  two 
short  notes  since,  that  is  all.  I  should  think  I  ought  to  be 
hearing  soon  ;  but  he  is  not  great  at  corresponding,  and 
now  affairs  are  so  unsettled  I  understand  his  not  having 
much  time  for  letters." 

"  He  is  married,"  said  Olive  very  quietly. 

"  Good  heavens !  Who  to  ?  Then  Dot's  report 
was  a  true  one." 

"  Yes.  Her  name  is  Cora  Corderoy  ;  he  wrote  and 
told  Lady  Crofton  about  it,  and  asked  her  to  give  her  a 
home  till  he  comes  back  from  the  war." 

"  I  can't  believe  it.  And  yet  he  always  had  a  way  of 
doing  things  differently  to  most  people.  I  suppose,  if  I 
may  say  it,  Oily,  you  managed  to  convince  him  at  last 
that  you  meant  what  you  said,  and  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion elsewhere.  She  must  be  a  wonderfully  taking 
young  .person,  or  else  there  are  circumstances  peculiar  to 
the  case.  How  quick  he  has  been  about  it !  Didn't  he 
let  his  parents  know  of  the  engagement  ?  " 

"  I  fancy  he  must  have  hinted  at  it  for  some  time 
previously,"  said  Olive  in  the  same  quiet  tone,  "  for  they 
did  not  seem  surprised." 

"  I  must  write  and  congratulate  him,  I  suppose,"  said 
Osmond ;  "  but  I  feel  stunned  by  the  suddenness  of  it. 
I  only  hope  she  is  worthy  of  him.  He  deserves  a  good 
wife." 

Olive  gave  an  imperceptible  shiver,  then  rose  reso- 
lutely from  her  seat. 


THE   VALLEY   OF   SHADOWS          121 

"  I  am  very  tired,"  she  said  ;  "  I  think  I  will  say 
good-night." 

"  You  have  had  a  most  trying  time,  and  look  worn 
out." 

She  left  the  room,  but  did  not  go  upstairs.  It  was 
only  half-past  nine;  the  household  did  not  retire  to  bed 
till  ten.  Slipping  on  a  shawl,  Olive  crept  out  of  the 
house.  It  was  a  lovely  still  evening,  and  as  she  passed 
through  the  flower  garden  into  the  old  walled  kitchen 
garden,  closing  the  gate  behind  her,  she  raised  her  head 
with  a  sense  of  freedom  and  relief. 

"  At  last  alone,"  she  murmured. 

To  her  the  last  few  weeks  had  been  like  one  long 
nightmare.  It  was  well  for  her  that  her  time  was  so 
occupied  that  she  had  little  time  to  think;  she  had  reso- 
lutely determined  to  live  in  the  present  and  concentrate 
her  thoughts  on  all  the  sad  duties  which  came  to  her 
throughout  Lady  Crofton's  last  illness  and  the  days  that 
followed.  But  she  knew  the  time  would  come  when 
she  would  have  to  face  her  trouble,  and  she  had  come 
out  into  the  dusky,  silent  garden  to  do  it  now.  There 
was  no  fear  of  interruption.  At  Crofton  Court  the 
servants  were  continually  coming  to  her  for  advice,  and 
every  minute  that  she  could  spare  was  devoted  to  Sir 
Marmaduke.  Here  there  was  no  one  needing  her.  Os- 
mond had  retired  to  his  room  blissfully  unconscious  of 
the  trouble  that  had  come  to  her.  And  she  was  content 
that  it  should  be  so.  This  grief  of  hers  was  too  sacred, 
too  fresh,  to  confide  to  her  dearest  friend.  It  was  a 
trouble  that  she  must  go  through  alone,  with  no  human 
comforter  by  her  side. 

A  slim,  young  figure  in  a  black  dress  and  light  shawl 


122  OLIVE   TRACV 

pacing  the  old  garden  paths  and  fighting  desperately  with 
her  fate.  Was  there  a  chance  that  through  the  crushing 
agony  of  it  all — hope  and  gladness  turned  to  bitterness 
and  disappointment — faith  and  trust  disillusioned — life 
emptied  of  what  had  made  it  most  full — and  the  painful 
realisation  that  it  was  absolutely  irrevocable — she  might 
yet  come  through  it  with  a  pure  and  chastened  spirit, 
resigned  and  submissive — not  to  fate — but  to  God's  eter- 
nal will  ? 

"  I  have  only  myself  to  thank  for  it,"  she  murmured ; 
"  I  told  him  to  forget  me,  but  I  never  thought  he  would. 
I  did  not  give  him  a  ray  of  hope ;  I  returned  him  scorn 
for  his  devotion ;  and  he  went  away  and  found  another, 
who  did  not  treat  him  so.  I  have  been  believing  in 
him,  hoping  to  right  myself  in  his  eyes,  blindly  content 
to  wait ;  secure  in  my  trust  in  his  fidelity ;  and  now  my 
eyes  have  been  opened.  I  have  been  happy  thinking, 
planning,  dreaming;  and  now  such  very  thoughts  will 
be  sin  !  He  has  a  wife.  I  must  banish  him  from  my 
life  completely." 

She  bowed  her  head,  and  tears  long  restrained  now 
found  their  outlet. 

"  My  future  is  all  dark,  there  is  nothing  to  look  for- 
ward to,  only  the  difficulty  of  knowing  and  seeing  and 
being  friendly  with  his  wife.  Oh,  I  cannot  go  through 
it;  flesh  and  blood  cannot  stand  it!  I  long  to  die,  and 
end  it  all !  " 

Then  words  she  had  come  across  that  morning,  in 
her  reading,  fell  upon  her  ear.  The  same  old  words 
that  Osmond  had  given  her  some  time  ago :  "  Come 
unto  Me  all  ye  that  labour  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I 
will  give  you  rest." 

4 


THE   VALLEY   OF   SHADOWS          123 

But  how  differently  they  touched  her  now.  Then, 
the  music  of  it  had  been  sweet ;  but  it  was  as  a  far-off 
song ;  now  it  was  the  voice  of  One  she  knew,  and  One 
whom  she  had  learnt  to  love.  She  raised  her  tearful 
eyes  to  the  starry  sky  and  a  hush  seemed  to  fall  upon 
her  spirit.  It  was  not  a  God  millions  of  miles  away 
from  the  universe  that  spoke  to  her,  it  was  the  voice  of 
God  "  walking  in  the  garden  in  the  cool  of  the  day," 
and  He  was  near,  and  He  comforted  her. 

"  As  one  whom  his  mother  comforteth,  so  will  I  com- 
fort you." 


CHAPTER  XI 

CORA 

Once  to  every  man  and  nation 

Comes  the  moment  to  decide, 
In  the  strife  of  Faith  with  Falsehood, 

For  the  good  or  evil  side. — Lowell. 

"  A  LETTER  at  last  from  his  Grace.  Now  for  his 
news ! " 

It  was  Osmond  who  spoke,  as  Miss  March  came  in 
one  morning  at  breakfast,  and  handed  the  letter.  Olive 
took  hers,  and  was  soon  so  absorbed  in  it,  that  she  did 
not  hear  Osmond  speak. 

Baker  wrote  for  Sir  Marmaduke.  She  had  been  so 
long  in  the  family  that  she  was  quite  accustomed  to  act 
as  scribe,  and  there  was  much  to  discuss  with  Olive.  It 
was  not  her  letter  however  that  absorbed  Olive,  but  one 
that  Sir  Marmaduke  had  requested  her  to  enclose.  It 
was  addressed  to  Lady  Crofton  and  ran  as  follows  : 

DEAR  MOTHER, 

I  hope  you  will  not  think  me  forward  in  addressing  you 
so.  Marmaduke  has  talked  so  much  about  you  that  I  feel  I  know 
you  already.  You  will  have  received  his  letter  telling  you  of  all  our 
circumstances.  I  feel  shy  of  coming  to  you  as  such  a  stranger,  but 
Marmaduke  assures  me  of  a  welcome.  You  will  have  heard  of  his 
battery  being  ordered  to  the  front.  I  cannot  express  my  sorrow  at 
coming  to  you  under  such  circumstances,  but  I  am  assured  you  will 
understand  and  receive  me  for  his  sake.  I  am  writing  this  on  board 
ship,  and  I  expect  you  will  not  receive  it  many  days  before  I  hope  to 
arrive.  Believe  me, 

Your  affectionate  daughter-in-law, 

CORA. 
I24 


CORA 125 

Olive  read  and  re-read  this.  She  scrutinised  every 
letter,  every  line,  then  folded  it  up  leisurely,  and  said  : 

"  Mrs.  Duke  has  written  a  nice  little  letter  to  dear 
Lady  Crofton.  What  a  shock  it  will  be  to  her  when 
she  arrives  to  find  her  gone  !  " 

"  Yes,"  assented  Osmond ;  "  and  his  Grace  of  course 
is  in  the  same  ignorance.  It  is  only  a  hurried  line  just 
before  he  was  starting  up  country.  Would  you  like  to 
see  it  ?  " 

Poor  Olive  took  the  thin  sheet  of  paper  from  him 
with  marvellous  self-control.  That  dear  handwriting 
that  she  had  so  longed  to  see  was  in  her  hand  at  last, 
but  no  longer  did  it  belong  to  her ;  it  was  to  corroborate 
the  truth  of  what  she  had  already  heard. 

She  read  it  through,  and  quietly  handed  it  back.  It 
did  not  take  long  to  read. 

DEAR  DIOGENES, 

I  must  send  you  a  hasty  scrawl.  We  are  off  to  join  some 
other  reinforcements  just  arrived,  and  are  wondering  who  will  fire  the 
first  shot.  It  will  be  a  terrible  long  business,  I  am  afraid.  I  don't 
know  when  I  shall  get  a  chance  of  sending  a  line  to  you  again.  You 
and  Olive  will  think  of  me,  I  know.  I  wrote  to  mother,  and  Olive 
will  have  heard  all  our  news  from  her.  Ask  Olive  for  my  sake  to 
receive  Cora  as  a  sister.  It  will  be  a  sad  time  for  her,  and  she  will 
want  a  friend.  Mark  has  gone  off  to  Australia.  I  hope  you  will  like 
your  new  diggings.  I  often  picture  you  together. 

Yours, 

M.  CROFTON. 

"  Not  much  of  a  scribe,  is  he  ?^"  said  Osmond. 
"No." 

"  He  seems  to  take  it  for  granted  we  know  all  about 

his  marriage.    I  wonder  if  a  letter  of  his  has  gone  astray  ?  " 

"  Perhaps.       I    am     afraid    you    will     be    very    dull, 


126  OLIVE   TRACY 

Diogenes,  when  I  leave  you  again.  I  am  so  sorry,  but 
it  seems  to  be  my  duty  to  go  to  poor  old  Sir  Marma- 
duke.  I  shall  not  stay,  when  once  Mrs.  Duke  has 
settled  in.  Don't  you  find  this  life  awfully  lonely  ? " 

"  Not  a  bit.  I  shall  have  my  small  friend  in,  with 
her  imp  of  ugliness,  to  cheer  me  up.  I  cannot  tell  you 
what  a  treat  it  is  to  be  able  to  wheel  myself  in  and  out 
as  I  do ;  and  get  so  much  fresh  air." 

"  What  will  you  do  in  the  winter,  I  wonder,  when  I 
shall  have  to  be  away  from  you !  But  I  won't  begin  to 
croak  !  I  only  wish  I  had  your  patience.  I  feel  such  a 
longing  to  be  up  and  doing  !  A  little  time  of  this  quiet 
is  delicious ;  much  of  it  would  finish  me  !  " 

"You  have  your  work,  I  have  mine,"  said  Osmond 
quietly.  "  Do  you  know  the  verse  that  cheers  me 
most  ?  " 

"  No,  what  ?  " 

" c  Strengthened  with  all  might  according  to  His 
glorious  power,  unto  all  patience  and  long-suffering  with 
joyfulness.'  With  such  a  possibility  as  that,  how  can 
one  grumble  ?  " 

"  It's  lovely  !  "  said  Olive  with  glowing  eyes  ;  "  and 
it  will  fit  me  as  well  as  you." 

Osmond  looked  at  her  a  little  wistfully.  Olive  had 
told  him  in  a  few  words  of  the  difference  in  her  life, 
and  he  had  rejoiced  with  her;  but  such  talks  were  few 
and  brief,  for  Olive,  though  bubbling  over  with  amusing 
chatter  about  everyday  things,  was  always  most  silent 
about  the  things  she  felt  deepest.  She  had  opened  her 
heart  once  to  Osmond  when  desperate;  she  had  told 
him  when  through  the  billows  her  feet  had  touched  the 
rock ;  but  she  could  not  tell  him  now  of  a  trouble  she 


CORA  127 

was  bravely  trying  to  stamp  upon,  and  a  memory  that 
she  sought  to  crush. 

Osmond,  with  the  quick  eyes  of  an  invalid,  noted  that 
her  bright  laugh  and  sayings  were  often  assumed ;  and 
he  wondered  if  it  were  only  anxiety  about  the  future, 
that  brought  a  downward  curve  to  her  usually  smiling 
lips. 

Olive  now  tucked  her  letter  into  her  pocket,  and 
joined  the  old  farmer  in  the  porch  who  was  looking — 
weather  wise — over  the  valley  to  the  opposite  side.  "  A 
penny  for  your  thoughts,  Andrew,"  said  Olive  in  her 
fresh  young  voice. 

Andrew  turned  with  a  humorous  twinkle  in  his  eye. 

"A'm  just  readin'  out  o'  my  book,  miss,"  he  said, 
waving  his  hand  over  a  portion  of  the  horizon.  "  'Tis 
a  book  o'  the  A'mighty's  own,  an'  better'n  the  works  o' 
men." 

Olive  glanced  up,  and  her  eyes  rested  on  the  fair 
scene  in  front  of  her  with  pleasure. 

It  was  a  still  morning ;  the  sky  though  blue  was 
fringed  on  the  horizon  by  a  thick  bank  of  grey  clouds, 
and  it  was  towards  these  that  the  farmer  was  looking. 

"  A'm  thinkin'  there'll  be  rain  afore  another  twenty- 
four  hours  !  "  he  said,  with  a  shake  of  his  head  ;  "  and 
a  reglar  break  up  of  the  weather  is  a-comin'  in  a'll  make 
free  to  say  !  " 

Then  Olive,  leaning  her  arms  on  an  old  sundial  out- 
side the  porch,  spoke  out  her  thoughts. 

"  How  I  wish  I  could  be  so  weather  wise  about  my 
life.  I  should  like  to  see  it  mapped  out  like  the  country 
here,  so  that  I  could  tell  which  way  the  clouds  would 
come ;  and  when  instead  of  suddenly  being  surprised  by 


128  OLIVE   TRACY 

a  thunderclap  when  I  imagined  all  signs  of  storms  were 
over,  and  sunshine  getting  clearer  every  day  !  " 

"  We're  on  a  good  height,  ye  see,"  said  Andrew, 
rubbing  his  head  and  looking  at  the  graceful  young 
figure  by  his  side  with  some  perplexity. 

Olive  turned  her  face  round  and  smiled  at  him  ;  a 
smile  that,  as  the  good  man  described  to  his  wife  after- 
wards, "  seemed  to  burst  up  all  over  him  like  a  shower 
o'  stars  !  " 

"  It  isn't  till  we  reach  the  heights  above  that  we  shall 
see  it.  Thank  you,  Andrew  !  " 

Then  singing  softly  to  herself,  she  went  out  into  the 
garden;  and  walking  up  and  down  amongst  the  old- 
fashioned,  sweet-smelling  flowers,  worked  ofF  her  anxious 
troubled  thoughts,  and  went  back  to  Osmond  half  an 
hour  after,  with  a  serene  and  smiling  face. 

A  week  later  and  she  stood,  a  slender  young  figure  in 
black,  at  the  top  of  the  imposing  staircase  at  Crofton 
Court,  waiting  to  welcome  young  Mrs.  Crofton. 

Cora  did  not  show  to  advantage  that  first  evening ; 
and  perhaps  it  was  unfair  to  expect  her  to  do  so,  for  she 
was  tired  and  dispirited  with  her  long  journey,  and  the 
shock  of  hearing  that  Lady  Crofton  was  no  longer  living 
seemed  to  utterly  unnerve  her. 

She  was  a  fair-haired,  sweet-faced  girl,  with  gentle 
voice  and  demeanour,  but  with  a  pair  of  wonderful  dark 
eyes  that  seemed  to  belie  the  rest  of  her  face,  and  glowed 
with  a  brilliant  light  through  the  long  lashes  and  droop- 
ing eyelids,  that  sometimes  nearly  concealed  them  from 
view. 

As  Olive,  with  bright  words  of  welcome,  drew  her 
into  the  large  drawing-room,  and  seating  her  in  a 


CORA  129 

cushioned  chair,  commenced  to  pour  out  a  cup  of  tea 
for  her,  she  looked  wonderingly  at  her : 

"  Who  are  you  ?  Am  I  not  to  see  Lady  Crofton  ? 
Excuse  my  bluntness,  but  I  feel  so  bewildered." 

Then  Olive  very  gently  broke  the  sad  news  to  her; 
and  Cora  began  to  cry  at  once. 

"  Oh,  I  can't  stay  here ;  Marmaduke  told  me  she 
would  be  so  good  to  me.  How  dreadful,  how  dreadful, 
after  all  I  have  gone  through !  " 

Olive  made  her  drink  some  tea ;  she  judged  she  was 
tired  and  unstrung. 

"  Sir  Marmaduke  asked  me  to  bring  you  to  him  when 
you  felt  fit.  He  will  make  you  welcome  as  I  cannot, 
and  you  will  find  he  will  be  as  kind  as  dear  Lady 
Crofton.  You  must  remember  that  Duke  is  his  eldest 
and  favourite  son,  and  I  think  you  will  find  you  can  be 
a  comfort  to  him.  He  is  so  lonely,  poor  old  man." 

Cora  struggled  for  composure. 

"  I  will  go  and  see  him  when  I  have  changed  my 
dress.  What  time  do  you  dine  ?  Need  I  see  him 
before  dinner  ?  " 

"  Sir  Marmaduke  dines  in  his  room.  He  is  an  invalid. 
Dinner  is  at  eight,  but  may  I  come  for  you  about  a 
quarter  to  eight  ?  I  think  he  would  like  to  see  you  then." 

"  I  feel  more  inclined  to  go  straight  to  bed  than  do 
anything  else,"  was  the  dejected  reply.  "  But  I  suppose 
I  had  better  see  him  then.  I  don't  know  that  I  have  a 
black  dress  to  appear  in.  It  all  seems  so  dreadful  !  " 

"  I  will  send  Baker,  Lady  Crofton's  maid,  to  you. 
She  will  help  you  to  unpack,"  said  Olive. 

She  called  for  her  at  a  quarter  to  eight,  and  very  fair 
and  sweet  she  looked,  though  her  black  lace  dress  was 


130  OLIVE   TRACY 

an  old  and  shabby  one.  Still  she  seemed  to  shrink  from 
the  interview,  and  Olive  wondered  at  it.  Sir  Marma- 
duke  received  her  very  quietly.  He  was  never  able  to 
say  much,  and  his  words  always  were  slow  in  utterance. 

"  Glad  to  see  you — must  be  a  daughter  to  me,  now  I'm 
left — a  daughter  like  Olive  here.  And  how  is  Duke  ?  " 

It  was  the  question  Olive  had  been  longing  to  ask. 

"  He  is  very  well.  He  came  to  see  me  off.  You 
know  he  is  going  to  the  front  ?  " 

The  old  man  nodded. 

"  He'll  distinguish  himself;  I've  no  fears  about  him. 
Do  you  know  that  scamp  of  mine — Mark — where  is  he  ?  " 

Cora  looked  wonderingly  at  him,  then  said  slowly  : 
"  He  has  gone  to  Australia,  to  make  his  fortune." 

"  Fool !  He  had  better  not  show  his  face  in  these 
parts  again.  Be  thankful  you  have  chosen  the  best  of 
them ;  if  you  had  been  Mark's  wife,  you'd  live  to  rue  it ! 
But  in  that  case  you  would  never  have  had  a  footing 
here.  His  mother  always  spoilt  him — oh  dear,  oh  dear, 
what  am  I  saying  ?  and  she  has  gone  and  left  me  !  " 

Sir  Marmaduke's  voice  was  husky  and  uncertain ;  his 
head  sunk  on  his  chest,  and  Olive  hastened  to  say : 

"  Now  we're  going  to  dinner,  Sir  Marmaduke ;  and 
you  will  hear  all  the  news  about  Duke  to-morrow." 

She  led  Cora  out  of  the  room,  and  as  they  were  de- 
scending the  stairs  together  she  said : 

"  He  is  easily  excited,  poor  old  man.  You  had  better 
not  mention  Mark's  name  to  him,  if  you  can  help  it. 
He  has  always  been  a  trouble  to  his  parents.  Sir  Mar- 
maduke, I  am  afraid,  will  never  forgive  him  for  all  the 
disgrace  he  has  brought  upon  the  family." 

"  I  have  no  desire  to  talk  about  him,"  said  Cora  with 


CORA  131 

a  little  bitter  smile,  but  as  Olive  preceded  her  downstairs 
she  scanned  her  up  and  down  very  curiously.  It  was  a 
strange  meal  that  followed.  Olive  had  been  having  her 
dinner  in  a  small  morning-room  when  alone ;  but  now, 
in  honour  of  Marmaduke's  wife,  the  dining-room,  with 
its  large  and  stately  table,  was  brilliantly  lighted;  and 
the  two  girls,  for  they  were  nothing  more,  took  their 
seats  at  opposite  ends  of  the  table,  feeling  both  forlorn 
and  out  of  place.  Cora  of  course  took  the  precedence 
of  Olive,  and,  though  apparently  unembarrassed  and  free 
from  shyness,  she  was  strangely  ill  at  ease. 

Olive  talked  on  naturally  and  brightly,  asking  her  many 
questions  about  her  Cape  life,  but  could  get  little  infor- 
mation out  of  her.  Afterwards,  in  the  drawing-room, 
over  the  fire,  the  girls  drew  nearer  together. 

"  I  suppose,"  said  Olive,  in  the  course  of  conversa- 
tion, "  you  really  knew  Mark  before  Duke  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  Cora  slowly. 

Her  voice  was  slow  and  soft ;  and  she  had  a  way  of 
looking  at  Olive  through  her  half-closed  eyes,  that  the 
latter  rather  resented. 

"  Mark  was  always  at  our  house,"  she  went  on  in  the 
same  measured  tones ;  "  and  when  we  heard  that  a 
brother  of  his  was  coming  out,  we  were  naturally  rather 
curious  to  see  him.  Marmaduke  came  to  our  house  to 
meet  Mark,  for  he  was  staying  with  us  at  the  time,  and 
then  we  saw  a  good  deal  of  both  of  them." 

"And  what  made  Mark  go  off  to  Australia  so  sud- 
denly ?  " 

Cora  looked  at  her  with  that  slow,  curious  gaze  of 
hers  without  speaking  for  a  minute.  "  Don't  you  really 
know  ?  "  she  asked.  "  But  I  suppose  Lady  Crofton  did 


132  OLIVE   TRACY 

not  tell  you.  You  see,  I  do  not  know  how  intimate  you 
are  with  the  family  ;  there  are  things  best  not  repeated." 

Olive  felt  her  cheeks  get  hot  at  once. 

"  Lady  Crofton  always  told  me  everything,"  she  said, 
trying  to  speak  quietly ;  "  I  always  read  her  son's  letters 
over  with  her,  but  she  received  a  letter  just  before  she 
died  that  distressed  her  very  much,  and  I  am  afraid  it 
was  about  Mark.  I  wondered  if  you  could  throw  any 
light  upon  it,  as  Sir  Marmaduke  is  as  much  in  the  dark 
about  it  as  I  am.  The  letter  was  unfortunately  burnt, 
and  Lady  Crofton  did  not  know  it.  She  tried  to  tell  me 
the  contents  of  it,  and  in  fact  gave  me  the  letter,  as  she 
thought,  to  read ;  but  it  was  not  the  real  one." 

"  That  was  the  Marmaduke's  letter  I  suppose,  telling 
— saying  that  I  was  coming  to  England  ?  " 

Cora  leant  forward,  and  her  eyes  flashed  with  ani- 
mated interest. 

"  Yes ;  of  course  it  was  a  great  surprise  in  every  way." 

"  And  what  did  Lady  Crofton  tell  you  ?  " 

It  was  Olive's  turn  to  draw  back  a  little  now.  The 
suppressed  eagerness  in  Cora's  tone  was  not  to  her  liking. 

"  Lady  Crofton  spoke  most  kindly  of  you,  and  asked 
me  to  welcome  you,"  she  said  gravely. 

"  And  nothing  more." 

"  She  was  distressed  about  something,  but  I  could  not 
tell  what." 

"  She  said  nothing  else — about  Mark  and  Marma- 
duke ! " 

"  Nothing  but  the  fact  of  your  marriage  with  Duke, 
and  that  he  was  going  to  send  you  home." 

Cora's  eyes  flashed  again  for  a  minute ;  then  she  sank 
back  into  her  chair  again,  and  half-closed  them  with  a 


CORA 133 

smile.  She  said  very  little  after  that,  and  Olive  did  not 
press  her  for  further  news  of  Mark.  She  was  rather  re- 
lieved than  otherwise,  when  Cora,  pleading  fatigue,  went 
to  bed ;  and  then  being  left  alone  in  the  drawing-room, 
Olive  gave  way  to  a  weakness  of  hers,  and  that  was  to 
draw  Duke's  favourite  chair  to  the  fire  and  seat  herself 
in  it.  She  had  seen  him  so  often  draw  it  up  to  his 
mother's  side ;  she  had  so  often  made  one  of  the  trio ; 
and  could  see  him  now  throwing  his  head  back  for  a 
hearty  laugh,  when  perhaps  she  had  been  a  little  extra 
nonsensical. 

Seating  herself  in  it,  she  laid  her  cheek  caressingly  on 
its  cushions. 

"  For  the  last  time,  Duke — the  last  time.  I  have  no 
right  to  it.  Your  wife  will  sit  here  now ;  I  shall  only 
stay  in  this  house  as  a  visitor,  and  not  very  often  then ; 
and  I  am  not  going  to  think  of  you  any  more.  Oh, 
Duke,  I  have  to  try  to  do  what  I  told  you  to,  I  have  to 
try  to  forget  you  !  " 

Tears  fell ;  but  only  the  chair  saw  and  knew.  Up- 
stairs in  the  best  spare  room,  Cora  was  pacing  to  and 
fro.  She  had  dismissed  Baker  rather  curtly  when  that 
worthy  had  offered  her  help,  which  dismissal  hurt  Baker's 
feelings  and  sent  her  to  the  servants'  hall  in  an  injured 
frame  of  mind. 

"  She's  a  sweet  pretty  young  lady  is  the  future  Lady 
Crofton,"  was  the  old  butler's  comment,  "  and  I  don't 
wonder  at  the  Captain's  choice." 

"  Is  she  quite  the  quality,  do  you  consider  ?  "  queried 
the  upper  housemaid,  who  had  a  great  respect  for  Triggs' 
opinion.  "  I've  heard  tell  'tisn't  the  best  blood  that  is 
brought  up  in  the  colonies." 


134 OLIVE   TRACY 

"  She's  pretty  near  it,"  announced  Triggs  dubiously  ; 
"  but  she  don't  seem  so  easy  in  her  manner  as  she  should 
be.  Miss  Tracy,  to  my  mind " 

"  Ah,  Miss  Tracy  ought  to  be  here  as  mistress,  and  I 
know  her  Ladyship  always  hoped  she  would  be." 

"  Well,"  said  Triggs,  "  the  Captain  might  do  worse ; 
this  lady's  looks  are  in  her  favour." 

"  Hum  !  "  snorted  Baker,  coming  in  at  that  moment. 
"  It's  my  opinion,  if  you  ask  me,  that  there  are  claws 
under  those  velvet  paws,  and  they'll  be  shown  pretty 
quickly." 

Oblivious  of  Baker's  newly  formed  opinion,  Cora 
paced  her  room  with  knitted  brow.  Something  was 
disturbing  her  mind ;  and  when  she  raised  her  head  at  a 
fancied  knock  there  was  almost  terror  in  her  gaze. 

"  I  cannot,  I  cannot,"  she  muttered  with  clenched 
hands.  "  I  have  said  nothing,  it  is  their  doing,  and — 
and  fate.  Yet  what  shall  I  do  if  the  truth  is  out  ?  It 
must  come,  unless — unless — oh,  what  shall  I  do  ?  I 
have  nowhere  to — I  will  brace  myself  up.  I  must  go 
through  with  it." 

Then  her  face  took  a  hard  look,  and  she  stood  at  her 
window,  pushing  aside  the  curtains  to  gaze  out.  It  was 
a  lovely  moonlight  night;  the  old  lawns  and  terraces  lay 
bathed  in  a  silver  light ;  and  beyond  the  grounds  were  the 
woods  and  hills.  All  outside  seemed  at  rest  and  in  har- 
mony with  each  other.  But  in  this  frail  young  girl,  with 
pale  face  and  dark  flashing  eyes,  there  existed  two  forces 
at  work  that  night,  and  the  conflict  between  good  and 
evil  raged  in  her  soul.  When  she  turned  away  from  the 
window  at  last  Cora's  resolution  was  taken  and  her  plans 
already  made. 


CHAPTER  XII 
"RUIN  AND  RIBBONS" 

A  man  can  find  more  reasons  for  doing  as  he  wishes  than  for  doing 
as  he  ought. — John  Ruskin. 

THE  girls  met  at  breakfast  the  next  morning  rather 
gravely.  Olive,  as  her  custom  was,  eagerly  scanned 
The  Times  before  she  came  to  the  table.  She  gave  an 
exclamation  of  dismay.  "  The  Boers  have  sent  us  an 
ultimatum,"  she  said  to  Cora.  "  If  we  don't  remove 
our  troops  by  the  eleventh,  war  will  be  declared.  It  has 
come  at  last.  I  am  afraid  you  will  be  very  anxious  so 
far  away." 

"  Yes,"  she  assented  quietly ;  "  suspense  is  always 
most  wearing.  I  try  not  to  think  of  it." 

Olive  did  not  refer  to  the  subject  again ;  but  after 
their  meal  was  over  she  took  Cora  over  the  house  and 
through  the  grounds.  She  found  her  very  silent,  appar- 
ently absorbed  in  her  own  thoughts,  and  uninterested  in 
what  Olive  tried  to  tell  her. 

They  were  pacing  a  little  winding  walk  through  the 
shrubberies,  and  Olive  had  been  pointing  out  an  old  oak 
which  had  been  a  favourite  tree  of  the  Croftons  as  boys, 
and  on  whose  trunk  was  carved,  with  many  devices,  M. 
C.  and  M.  E.  C.,  when  Cora  suddenly  said  with  a  little 
laugh  : 

"  You  seem  on  very  familiar  ground  here.  Have  you 
known  the  Croftons  long  ?  " 

'35 


136  OLIVE  TRACY 

"  I  never  can  remember  not  knowing  them,"  said 
Olive.  "  We  grew  up  together  as  girls  and  boys." 

"  And  which  was  your  favourite  ? " 

"I  don't  think  any  of  us  cared  for  Mark,"  Olive  said 
hesitatingly.  "  I  used  to  think  he  was  like  some  malig- 
nant changeling.  He  was  never  happy  unless  he  was 
with  the  grooms  and  stable  boys,  trying  to  smoke  and 
use  bad  words.  I  have  often  wondered  why  some  boys 
seem  to  make  a  wrong  start  so  early  in  life." 

"  He  never  struck  me  as  being  such  a  ruffian,"  said 
Cora  a  little  hotly  ;  "  and  he  is  decidedly  the  best-looking 
of  the  two." 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?  " 

Olive's  dry  tone  provoked  Cora. 

"  Marmaduke  mentioned  your  name  to  me,"  she  said, 
with  a  little  careless  laugh.  "  Were  you  and  he  smitten 
with  each  other's  charms  in  the  old  days  ?  " 

"  That  question  you  had  better  put  to  your  hus- 
band," Olive  said  with  great  dignity,  though  her  heart 
throbbed  painfully  at  the  careless  words ;  and  making 
an  excuse,  she  left  her  in  the  garden  and  went  back  to 
the  house. 

She  was  glad  when  those  first  days  were  over,  for 
something  told  her  that  Cora  and  she  would  never  be 
friends.  And  in  a  day  or  two  young  Mrs.  Crofton  much 
astonished  her  by  the  easy  way  she  took  the  reins  of  the 
household  into  her  hands.  She  got  on  capitally  with 
Sir  Marmaduke ;  would  sit  and  talk  to  him  for  long  about 
his  favourite  son.  She  opened  his  letters  and  read  them 
to  him,  just  as  his  wife  used  to  do;  and  the  lonely  old 
man  soon  began  to  lean  upon  her  and  consult  her  in  every 
matter.  With  the  feeling  of  new-born  power  Cora's  tone 


"RUIN   AND   RIBBONS"  137 

changed  to  Olive ;  she  no  longer  appealed  to  her,  but 
adopted  a  pleasant  little  patronising  manner,  which 
though  highly  satisfactory  to  herself,  was  very  much 
the  reverse  to  Olive.  Within  a  week  Cora  had  become 
mistress,  and  Olive  was  bidding  good-bye  to  Crofton 
Court.  Old  Sir  Marmaduke  cried  when  she  bid  him 
farewell. 

"  You  are  such  a  good  girl — come  and  see  me  again — 
my  dear  wife  always  hoped  to  welcome  you  here  as 
daughter.  I  am  a  lonely  old  man,  every  one  is  going 
away  from  me." 

"  Cora  will  be  here,"  said  Olive  brightly.  "  She  is 
your  daughter  now." 

He  cheered  up  at  once. 

"  Yes,  a  nice,  clever  girl,  quite  fitted  for  her  position. 
Good-bye,  my  dear,  good-bye  !  " 

Olive  went  back  to  Osmond,  feeling  that  the  last  link 
with  a  happy  past  had  been  broken ;  a  chapter  in  her 
life  closed  for  ever.  Yet  she  bravely  took  up  her  daily 
life,  and  her  voice  and  laugh  rang  as  clearly  as  ever  it 
had  done.  She  drew  her  comfort  from  an  unseen  source, 
and  her  inner  life  adjusted  rightly  gave  her  time  and  op- 
portunity for  serving  others. 

She  needed  all  her  cheerfulness,  for  the  horrors  of  war 
soon  crept  into  every  one's  thoughts  and  minds. 

It  had  been  long  since  the  dread  realities  of  it  had 
touched  so  many  English  hearts  and  homes,  and  Duke's 
safety  was  in  her  thoughts  night  and  day. 

Andrew  and  his  wife  took  the  war  calmly  and 
philosophically ;  Bess  waxed  hysterically  sentimental 
over  it. 

"  There  be  somethin'  very  wrong  in  going  to  war  wi' 


138  OLIVE   TRACY 

farmers,"  said  Andrew,  shaking  his  head,  as  Osmond 
tried  to  explain  to  him  the  characteristics  of  the  Boer, 
and  the  reason  for  such  warfare. 

"  A  can't  rightly  come  at  it,  why  we  should  leave  our 
own  country  at  all,  and  fight  amongst  haythen  nations. 
But  there,  'tis  nothin'  to  us,  for  the  wife  and  me  have 
been  too  respectibble  folks  to  have  belongin's  a-soldier- 
ing,  not  but  what  Bess — foolish  craytur' — would  have  us 
take  note  of  ev'ry  Jack  Harry  in  the  lot,  if  so  be  they're 
on  the  paper.  And  I  don't  rightly  believe  the  papers. 
They're  generally  writ  I  hears  by  chaps  who  lounge 
round  an'  gossips  at  every  corner  !  " 

Bess  would  seize  the  morning  paper  every  day  after 
Olive  and  Osmond  had  done  with  it,  and  her  anxiety 
almost  equalled  theirs.  She  followed  the  first  engage- 
ment at  Glencoe  with  breathless  interest,  and  sobbed  as 
if  her  heart  would  break  over  the  first  sad  list  of 
casualties. 

"  I  always  did  have  a  leanin'  towards  the  redcoats  !  " 
she  confided  to  Olive.  "  It  seems  so  heroic  of  them  to 
fight  for  us,  and  die  for  their  country.  I  could  never  do 
it,  that  I'm  morally  certain  !  " 

About  a  week  after  Olive's  return  from  Crofton 
Court,  she  received  a  letter  from  Eddie : 

DEAR  OLD  OLLY, 

Don't  swear  at  me,  but  I'm  down  in  my  luck  again ! 
I've  been  a  good  boy  for  two  months,  and  thought  I  was  a  reformed 
character,  but  it's  no  go.  Can  you  give,  lend,  or  borrow  for  me  .£25. 
It  isn't  a  large  sum,  but  I'm  cleared  out.  I'm  an  unfortunate  beggar, 
but  'tis  my  fate.  You're  such  a  standby,  that  I  don't  think  you'll  fail 
me,  and  I  promise  it  shall  be  the  last  time  I  bother  you.  Now  don't 
stamp  up  and  down  the  room  and  say  "  I  won't !  "  Because  if  I  don't 
get  an  answer  to  this,  I  shall  turn  up  at  the  farm  and  bully  you  into 


"RUIN   AND   RIBBONS"  139 

it !     I'm  longing  to  have  a  sight  of  you,  and  that's  the  fact.     Old 
Holmes  is  a  tartar.     Keep  a  soft  spot  in  your  heart  for 

Your  incorrigible  brother, 

ED. 

P.  S. — If  I  have  to  come,  I  shall  take  French  leave.  How  I  wish 
we  could  be  sent  to  the  front !  Duke  is  a  lucky  dog  to  be  right  in  the 
thick  of  it. 

v 
Olive  took  this  letter  out  into  the  orchard  with  her, 

and  her  heart  sank  as  once  again  she  viewed  the  future. 

"  He  will  never  be  any  different.  I  have  hoped 
against  hope ;  if  he  can  come  to  me  to  supply  him  with 
money  now,  knowing  how  we  are  situated,  he  will  come 
for  the  rest  of  our  lives.  I  shall  never  be  free  from  it, 
and  if  I  earn  anything,  all  my  earnings  will  find  their 
way  into  his  pocket.  He  will  be  a  millstone  round  our 
necks,  and  oh,  he  ought  to  be  different !  Our  only 
brother  !  He  will  not  have  mother  now  to  help  him  so 
continually  ;  and  with  all  the  will  in  the  world  it  is  ab- 
solutely impossible  for  me  to  keep  on  sending  him  £10 
notes.  What  shall  I  do?  If  I  don't  make  a  stand 
now,  I  never  shall ;  and  yet  if  I  don't  send  him  it,  he 
will  simply  borrow  from  some  moneylender,  and  when 
once  he  gets  into  their  clutches  it  will  mean  his  ruin  ! " 

She  sat  on  a  low  branch  of  an  apple  tree,  and  pursued 
such  musings  with  the  deepest  perplexity.  A  little  voice 
soon  disturbed  her. 

"  Beautiful  and  me  would  like  to  say  good-morning, 
please." 

Olive  looked  up  and  smiled  at  the  little  white  sun- 
bonnetted  creature  in  front  of  her. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here  at  this  time  of  the  morn- 
ing ?  "  she  said,  drawing  the  child  to  her  and  giving  her 
a  kiss. 


OLIVE   TRACY 


"  We've  been  running  away  from  wickedness  as  fast 
as  we  could,"  was  the  startling  assertion,  made  in  the 
calmest,  most  matter-of-fact  tone. 

Ida  stood  there  swinging  Beautiful  by  one  arm,  and 
began  to  kick  the  daisies  away  from  under  her  feet. 

"Where  was  it?  "  asked  Olive  smiling. 

"  In  the  kitchen  garden  at  home.  Beautiful  asked  me 
to  let  her  look  at  the  raspberries  ;  they  was  so  fat  and 
juicy,  and  mother  said  yesterday  we  was  not  to  pick 
one,  but  we  looked  at  them  and  then  we  ran  into  the 
other  garden,  but  Beautiful  would  keep  going  back,  and 
at  last,  when  I  was  quite  sure  Satan  was  behind  the 
bushes  and  would  make  us  eat  them,  we  just  ran  straight 
out  along  the  road  as  hard  as  we  could,  and  so  we've 
corned  here." 

Olived  wished  that  Eddie  had  some  of  this  little  maid- 
en's penetration  and  purpose.  She  sighed. 

"  Where's  my  Uncle  Humbug  ?  " 

"  He  is  indoors  ;  he  will  be  coming  out  soon." 

With  her  finger  in  her  mouth,  Ida  scanned  Olive 
rather  severely. 

"  Mother  never  sits  doing  nothing,"  she  said  ;  "  are 
you  going  to  have  a  cry  ?  " 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,  you  little  oddity.  I  am  very  busy 
indeed,  my  brains  are  hard  at  work,  and  if  you  could  see 
them  they  would  be  whirring  round  at  the  rate  of  a  mile 
a  minute  !  " 

Ida  considered  this  very  gravely,  then  she  propped  up 
Beautiful  opposite  Olive. 

"  Beautiful  is  just  so  busy  as  you  is  !  She  thinks  for 
ever  and  ever^  and  her  brains  is  going  fifty  hundred  miles 
a  minute  !  " 


"RUIN   AND    RIBBONS"  141 

Olive  humbly  acknowledged  her  inferiority  to  "  Beau- 
tiful," then  Ida  walked  off,  calling  back  as  she  went : 
"You  and  Beautiful  can  have  busy  thinks  together,  and 
I'll  ask  Uncle  Humbug  to  talk."  Olive  found  them 
a  little  later  thoroughly  enjoying  themselves  in  the  cool 
parlour.  Ida  was  sipping  a  glass  of  milk,  and  telling 
Osmond  some  wonderful  experience  of  hers  the  day 
before. 

"  I'm  going  over  to  see  Mrs.  Wilton,  Diogenes.  I 
promised  her  a  book ;  she  has  sprained  her  ankle,  and 
can't  get  out,  so  don't  expect  me  back  before  lunch." 

"  Isn't  it  a  long  way  for  you  ?  " 

"  No  ;  I  want  a  walk,  and  I  shall  go  through  the 
wood.  Good-bye." 

Mrs.  Wilton  was  the  woman  she  was  trying  so  hard 
to  keep  from  the  drink.  When  she  got  to  her  cottage 
she  found  her  lying  on  her  bed  partly  dressed,  and  look- 
ing the  picture  of  woe. 

"  Well,  Mrs.  Wilton,"  said  Olive,  "  how  are  you  ? 
Better  ? " 

"  No,  and  never  shall  be,  miss — it's  no  good,  I  tell 
'ee.  I  must  have  my  drop ;  I've  got  a  burnin'  and  a 
cravin'  that's  simply  cruel,  and  there's  that  boy  o'  mine 
says  you  would  made  him  promise  not  to  fetch  his  poor 
mother  a  drop !  If  that's  Christianity,  I'd  rayther  be 
wi'out  it,  yes,  I  would,  a  deal  !  A-teachin'  boys  to 
mock  and  disobey  their  parents  !  And  me  tied  by  the 
leg,  and  not  able  to  walk  a  step  wi'out  screamin'  wi'  the 
agony  of  it !  " 

She  turned  a  sulky  face  to  the  wall,  and  would  not 
look  at  the  book  Olive  had  brought  her.  Olive  was 
very  tired  ;  for  a  moment  she  felt  inclined  to  go  away 


H2 OLIVE   TRACY 

and  leave  her,  and  then  she  braced  herself  afresh.  She 
sat  down  and  quietly  reminded  the  poor  woman  of  all 
her  misery  in  the  past ;  of  the  longing  she  had  to  give  it 
up ;  and  of  all  the  good  resolutions  on  her  part  to  take 
none  of  it. 

"  We  have  prayed  together  about  it,  Mrs.  Wilton ; 
and  I  think  perhaps  God  has  sent  you  this  accident  to 
make  it  easier  for  you  to  keep  away  from  it.  Do  ask 
Him  now  to  take  this  craving  away.  He  will  do  it. 
Nothing  is  impossible  with  Him  !  " 

The  woman  turned  round  half-desperate ;  yet  with  a 
wistful  expression  in  her  eyes. 

"  Now,  do  you  really  believe,  miss,  that  God  can  take 
away  my  cravin'  for  it  ?  This  minute,  right  away  ? " 

For  a  moment  Olive  was  silent ;  her  head  was  bowed 
in  prayer.  Then  she  looked  up,  and  there  was  that  in 
her  face  that  brought  hope  to  the  poor  tempest-tossed 
soul. 

"I  do,  Mrs.  Wilton;  for  God  has  said,  'Call  upon 
Me  in  the  day  of  trouble,  I  will  deliver  thee.'  Now 
call,  and  He  will  answer  !  " 

Silence  again,  and  then  the  cry  rose,  and  the  answer 
came. 

Before  Olive  left,  Mrs.  Wilton  was  looking  and  feel- 
ing a  different  creature.  She  thankfully  took  some 
barley  water  that  Olive  had  brought  her;  and  lay 
back  on  her  pillows  exhausted  by  emotion,  but  at  rest. 

" 4  Is  My  hand  shortened  at  all  that  it  cannot  redeem  ? 
or  have  I  no  power  to  deliver?'"  repeated  Olive  to 
herself,  as  she  walked  back  through  the  shady  woods ; 
and  then  in  a  flash  Eddie's  need  came  before  her. 

"  I  have  been  thinking  he  is  hopeless.     God  can  save 


"RUIN   AND    RIBBONS"  143 

him  from  this  love  of  gambling.  'Nothing  is  too  hard.' 
God  forgive  me,  for  never  believing  it  before,  and  for 
never  telling  Eddie  that  there  is  a  remedy  for  him  !  " 
Her  face  grew  bright  as  she  walked  along ;  her  lips 
moved  in  prayer.  "  How  selfish  I  have  been,"  she 
thought ;  "  how  ungrateful,  how  cowardly,  not  to  tell 
him  what  I  have  found  ;  and  beg  him  to  seek  it  too.  He 
once  asked  me  if  I  had  no  remedy ;  no  stronger  force 
to  recommend  him  than  his  own  weak  resolutions.  I 
remember  how  puzzled  I  was,  when  he  likened  himself 
to  a  swimmer  in  a  strong  current ;  and  told  me  I  would 
not  fling  him  a  rope,  but  only  begged  him  to  make  a 
greater  effort.  And  now  I  know  the  One  who  can  de- 
liver him,  and  I  have  never  told  him." 

She  reached  home,  and  found  Osmond  alone,  but 
•she  said  nothing  to  him  till  after  lunch ;  then  she  gave 
him  Eddie's  letter,  and  asked  his  opinion  on  it. 

"  Ought  I  to  send  him  something  ?  I  have  little 
enough  to  spare,  as  you  know,  and  I  feel  if  I  send  now, 
I  shall  have  to  do  so  in  future." 

"  I  should  most  emphatically  refuse,"  said  Osmond 
decidedly.  "  It  will  be  true  kindness  once  for  all  to  let 
him  understand  that  in  your  altered  circumstances  he 
must  not  look  to  you  for  help.  His  allowance  is  much 
more  than  what  you  and  Elsie  have  together." 

Olive  sighed. 

"  I  hate  to  refuse  him.  He  won't  read  my  letter  if  I 
do,  and  I  want  to  tell  him — what  I  ought  to  have  done 
before." 

"  At  any  cost  be  firm  now,  Oily,  or  you  will  bitterly 
repent  it." 

"  And  if  he  goes  to  ruin  ? " 


i44  OLIVE   TRACY  ' 

"He'll  be  much  more  likely  to  lgo  to  ruin,'  as  you 
express  it,  if  you  go  on  making  it  easy  for  him  to  spend 
other  people's  money.  I  consider  every  one  of  his 
begging  letters  is  a  disgrace  to  him;  you  help  him  to 
lower  himself  by  listening  to  them." 

"  You  are  hard  on  him,  Diogenes." 

"Your  spoiling  is  the  ruin  of  him." 

Poor  Olive  went  away  to  her  room  that  afternoon  to 
compose  her  letter.  It  was  written  with  many  tears, 
and  yet  a  thread  of  hope  was  interwoven  with  all  the 
bitterness,  as  she  thought  of  the  possibilities  still  before 
this  weak  and  careless  brother  of  hers. 

She  wrote  and  rewrote  it ;  and  came  down  to  tea 
worn  out  with  her  task. 

Yet  such  were  her  spirits,  that  Osmond  little  guessed 
from  the  way  she  chatted  to  him  through  the  meal,  what 
a  strain  it  had  been  to  her.  Miss  March  amused  them 
by  coming  in  hastily  just  before  they  finished. 

"  Miss  Tracy,  did  you  ever  hear  the  like  ?  Here's 
Andrew  got  an  invite  to  a  weddin',  he  and  Ann,  and  he's 
just  bin  and  said  he's  goin'  in  the  new  black  kid  gloves 
he  bought  for  his  sister's  funeral  last  December !  He 
got  the  invite  two  weeks  ago  and  stuffed  it  in  his  pocket, 
for  it  was  an  elegant  note  from  Mrs.  Pike  that  was,  and 
that  is  goin'  to  be  Mrs.  Gregory  to-morrow  at  eleven 
o'clock  at  Widford  Church,  six  mile  from  here,  and  he 
never  giv'  it  a  thought  till  Ann  was  mend  in'  his"  pocket 
and  come  across  it  !  It  comes  of  bein'  so  proud  of  bein' 
no  scholar.  And  there  is  Ann,  who'll  have  to  stay  at 
home  for  want  of  time  to  trim  a  new  bonnet.  But  as 
for  him  goin'  in  a  funeral  pair  of  gloves,  well,  no  powers 
on  earth  will  prevent  me  from  circumventin'  that,  if  it 


"RUIN   AND    RIBBONS"  145 

comes  to  burnin'  them  to  ashes  ;  and  so,  Miss  Tracy, 
I'm  off  to  the  village  to  see  what  I  can  do.  I  did  hear 
tell  that  John  Sty  ordered  a  pair  last  May  year  for  his 
own  weddin',  and  then,  bein'  too  small,  he  let  David 
Snugg  put  them  in  his  shop  winder,  and  there  may  be 
a  chance  of  him  havin'  them  yet.  So  not  wishing  to 
hurry  you,  Miss  Tracy,  I  thought  I  could  but  see  if  I 
could  take  away  your  tea  things,  and  then  I'll  start  off  at 
once  and  get  back  in  time  to  shut  up  the  dairy." 

Olive  laughed  at  her  woeful  face,  but  asked  her  to 
post  her  letter,  and  then  went  into  the  kitchen  to  com- 
fort Mrs.  March's  heart  for  not  being  able  to  go  to  the 
wedding. 

"  If  it  is  only  fresh  ribbons  in  your  bonnet,  you  give 
it  to  me  and  I  will  see  what  I  can  do.  I  have  a  lot  of 
scraps  upstairs  in  a  box,  and  I  am  very  clever  with  my 
fingers." 

"  'Tis  the  love  of  dress  that  brings  most  women's 
troubles,"  observed  Andrew,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye  as 
he  sat  in  his  wooden  chair  enjoying  his  pipe. 

Mrs.  March  bustled  away  with  a  cheerful  smile  to  get 
her  bonnet,  though  she  made  many  apologies  for  troubling 
the  "  young  lady." 

u  I've  a  keen  likin'  to  go,"  she  said,  "  if  it's  only  to 
see  that  Andrew  behaves  himself.  'Tis  a  shame  he 
never  giv'  me  the  letter  before." 

Andrew  chuckled. 

"  Well,  wife,  folks  should  trust  their  tongues  better'n 
their  pens.  The  A'mighty  giv'  us  one,  and  'tis  only 
man  has  made  t'other.  Serve  Mrs.  Pike  out  for  not 
askin'  me  proper  when  I  see'd  her  a  week  backward." 

Olive  got  the  bonnet,  and  surrounding  herself  with 


146  OLIVE   TRACY 

ribbons  and  bits  of  lace  in  the  sitting-room  said  to 
Osmond  with  emphasis : 

"  What  a  medley  life  is  !  A  big  trouble  here,  a  little 
disappointment  there ;  one  person's  ruin,  another  per- 
son's ribbons,  occupying  one's  time  and  thoughts,  and 
so  the  days  slip  by." 

"  Neither  ruin  nor  ribbons  would  be  a  healthy  atmos- 
phere for  long,"  said  Osmond,  putting  his  book  down 
and  looking  wise.  "  Absorption  on  any  one  topic  is  bad 
for  us  mentally  and  physically.  A  mind  soon  gets  un- 
hinged if  it  has  not  change  of  thought." 

"  Go  on,  Diogenes  ;  while  I  occupy  my  fingers  with 
vanity,  give  me  more  of  your  philosophy." 

"  Aren't  our  very  meals,  commonplace  and  earthly 
though  they  be,  godsends  in  time  of  deep  trouble  ?  We 
have  to  put  our  grief  by  and  exert  ourselves  in  a  very 
distasteful  way  perhaps,  but  how  good  it  is  for  us  !  " 

"  I  don't  agree  there,"  said  Olive  soberly.  "  We  can 
eat  and  drink  like  machines  ;  it  doesn't  give  one's  mind 
a  rest." 

"  I  was  thinking  of  mixing  in  the  general  table  con- 
versation, which  one  is  obliged  to  do." 

"  Yes,  I  know  what  you  mean,  and  how  trying  it  is. 
How  one  longs  to  creep  away  alone  and  never  see  a  fel- 
low-creature again." 

Then  she  added  with  a  laugh  : 

"  But  I'm  not  a  misanthrope,  nor  are  you ;  and  I'm 
perfectly  happy  at  present  leaving  all  big  questions  alone 
and  wholly  engrossed  in  my  bonnet." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

A    LETTER 

Ah,  for  a  man  to  rise  in  me, 

That  the  man  I  am,  may  cease  to  be  ! — Tennyson. 

"A  LETTER,  sir." 

Eddie  took  it  from  his  servant  rather  eagerly.  He 
was  standing  by  his  window,  racquet  in  hand,  and  light- 
ing his  cigarette,  before  going  down  to  the  officers'  ten- 
nis club. 

There  were  marks  in  his  young  face  of  late  hours  and 
fast  living.  He  seemed  to  have  lost  some  of  his  fresh- 
ness and  youth  already,  yet  he  took  the  letter  with  his 
usual  frank  smile,  that  endeared  him  so  to  his  inferiors 
in  position,  and  seating  himself  half  inside,  half  out  of 
his  window  began  to  read  it. 

His  brows  knitted  as  he  read.  Once  he  made  an  im- 
patient movement  as  if  to  throw  it  in  the  waste  paper 
basket,  then  thinking  better  of  it,  spread  it  out  on  his 
knee  and  read  slowly  on. 

Having  read  it  through,  he  gazed  absently  out  on  the 
parade  ground  outside  his  window,  and  an  onlooker 
might  have  surmised  that  he  was  deeply  interested  in  a 
squad  of  fresh  recruits  going  through  their  drill. 

At  last  he  took  his  cigarette  out  of  his  mouth,  and 
pitched  it  out  on  the  grass. 

"  Either  she's  a  big  fool  or  I  am  ! "  he  muttered. 
"  Now  what  the  deuce  am  I  to  do  ?  I  counted  on  her, 
and  for  the  first  time  in  her  life  she  has  failed  me.  Well, 

H7 


148  OLIVE   TRACY 

I  was  a  confounded  mean  brute  to  write  to  her !  I  richly 
deserve  what  I  have  got.  But  neither  slanging  her  nor 
myself  will  mend  my  position.  Hang  it  all !  I  should 
like  to  chuck  the  service  altogether ! " 

He  got  up,  and  irritably  paced  the  room. 

"Never  thought  Oily  would  turn  out  one  of  that  sort 
— seems  quite  hot  over  it,  too !  A  bad  look  out  for  me 
her  taking  up  that  line,  for  she  will  have  no  mercy  on 
any  one's  failings  !  " 

"  Here,  Tracy  !  "  shouted  another  subaltern  striding 
up  to  the  window,  and  peeping  in,  "  have  you  gone  to 
sleep,  old  chap  ?  What's  the  row  ? " 

Eddie  vaulted  out  of  the  window  with  a  laugh,  shut- 
ting away  his  cares  for  the  time,  and  proving  himself  to 
be,  as  some  dubbed  him,  "a  regular  ripper  at  sport !  " 

He  grew  reckless  after  this,  and  then  one  evening  the 
climax  came.  A  Captain  Denvers  in  the  regiment  was 
his  evil  genius.  Eddie  regarded  him  with  mingled  feel- 
ings of  aversion  and  attraction  j  he  was  entirely  in  his 
power,  and  Captain  Denvers  made  an  unscrupulous  use 
of  this  advantage.  He  never  failed  to  draw  him  to  the 
card  table,  or  ply  him  with  drink  when  he  chafed  against 
the  curb.  And  on  this  particular  evening  Eddie  had 
drunk  long  and  copiously.  A  slight  dispute  over  the 
cards  led  to  Captain  Denvers'  making  some  insulting  re- 
mark. Eddie  sprang  up  and  dared  him  to  repeat  it. 
Captain  Denvers  mockingly  did  so.  Then  with  a  furi- 
ous blow  Eddie  laid  his  captain  low  on  the  ground,  and 
Colonel  Holmes  entered  the  room  at  the  identical  mo- 
ment. Captain  Denvers,  half-stunned,  was  led  from  the 
room,  and  Eddie  ordered  to  present  himself  before  the 
Colonel  the  next  morning. 


A   LETTER  149 

When  he  retired  to  his  room  that  night,  quite  sobered 
by  this  experience,  the  boy  began  to  reflect,  and  face,  as 
he  often  had  faced  before,  his  present  mode  of  living, 
and  the  effect  it  had  had  upon  him. 

He  was  in  a  very  sorrowful  and  softened  mood. 
Heavily  in  debt,  having  committed  a  crime  in  the  service 
deserving  of  court-martial,  nothing  seemed  wanting  to 
fill  his  cup  of  remorse.  And  it  was  in  this  frame  of 
mind  that  he  took  out  Olive's  letter  once  again  and  read 
it  steadily  through. 

DEAR  OLD  BOY, 

I  have  a  difficult  letter  to  write,  and  you  must  believe  that  I 
write  every  word  of  it  with  as  much  sympathy  and  love  as  I  have  ever 
shown  to  you.  To  come  to  the  point  at  once,  I  cannot  send  you  what 
you  ask  for.  You  must  remember  we  are  in  altered  circumstances 
now,  and  have  no  longer  the  means  to  do  it.  As  soon  as  the  autumn 
is  over,  I  shall  go  out  and  earn  my  living,  and  I  am  very  doubtful 
whether  I  shall  ever  earn  enough  to  keep  us  going.  The  time  for 
helping  you  is  past.  I  was  glad  enough  to  do  it  as  long  as  I  had  the 
money,  but  my  godmother's  gift  is  gone,  and  I  have  now  none  to 
spare.  You  must  never — and  I  write  this  most  emphatically — rely  on 
any  help  from  us  again.  This  sounds  hard,  doesn't  it  ?  And  yet, 
Eddie,  if  you  would  only  recognise  it,  it  may  be  the  saving  of  you. 
As  long  as  you  think  you  can  fall  back  on  us,  there  is  the  temptation 
to  go  ahead.  Now  you  know  for  a  dead  certainty  you  can  never  ex- 
pect a  penny  from  us  again,  you  will  see  how  more  than  ever  neces- 
sary it  is  to  keep  within  your  income.  I  quite  expect  you  to  tear  this 
letter  to  pieces  at  this  point,  but  don't.  For  I  have  something  to  say 
to  you.  From  the  bottom  of  my  heart  I  have  always  felt,  and  always 
will  feel,  for  you  in  your  difficulties.  But  up  to  now  I  have  had  such 
a  kind  of  hopeless,  helpless  feeling  that  it  could  never  be  different, 
that  I  have  only  weakly  urged  you  to  "  try  again  "  or  given  you  some 
such  platitude  as  that  to  encourage  you.  I  remember  your  saying  to 
me  some  time  ago,  that  I  could  recommend  to  you  no  stronger  force 
than  your  own  weak  resolution,  no  real  remedy  for  your  temptations. 
Now  I  write  to  tell  you  of  a  sure  and  certain  remedy,  one  that  will 


ISO  OLIVE   TRACY 

never  fail.  I  am  going  to  fling  you  the  rope  from  the  banks,  instead 
of  telling  you  to  make  a  greater  effort.  And  believe  me,  Eddie,  I  am 
telling  you  of  something  I  know,  something  I  have  experienced.  We 
have  all  been  brought  up  religiously  as  Christians,  but  I  think  it  has 
been  mere  form  to  most  of  us.  I  have  found  lately  that  Christ  did  not 
only  come  into  the  world  to  die  for  our  sins,  but  that  He  is  in  the 
world  now,  in  close  touch  with  every  one  of  His  people,  and  that  He 
is  the  Force  that  can  deliver  any  one  of  us  from  our  weaknesses  and 
temptations.  Nothing  is  too  hard  for  Him,  nothing  impossible.  He 
is  willing  to  be  by  our  side  every  minute  of  the  day,  reminding,  keep- 
ing, saving.  He  works  independently  of  circumstances.  He  is  be- 
yond and  above  them  all,  and  He  enables  us  to  be  so  too.  I  know 
this  as  a  fact  in  my  own  experience.  He  is  the  Rope.  Will  you 
(reverently  I  mean  it)  take  hold,  and  be  pulled  out  of  all  your  sins 
and  temptations  to  the  shore  ?  This  is  not  cant.  It  is  a  great  reality. 
Put  it  to  the  test.  The  only  condition  is,  that  you  put  yourself  in  His 
hands  unreservedly,  soul  and  body,  and  "  acknowledge  thine  in- 
iquity." I  am  quoting  Bible  words.  Forgiveness  comes  from  the 
Cross  alone,  but  power  comes  from  it  too.  It  thrills  me  when  I  think 
what  your  life  will  be,  when  you  get  it  in  touch  with  a  living,  power- 
ful Saviour.  I  don't  want  you  ever  to  say,  "  She  knew  of  a  remedy 
and  never  told  me !  "  Don't  toss  this  letter  aside,  but  if  you  doubt  the 
truth  of  my  words,  take  out  your  Bible  and  search  for  yourself,  and 
find  out  what  the  essence  of  a  real  living  religion  is. 
Ever  dearest  Eddie, 

Your  loving  sister, 

OLIVE. 

Eddie  sat  with  his  head  bowed  in  his  hands.  And  in 
the  hush  of  his  silent  room  a  "  still,  small  voice  "  began 
to  speak  to  him.  Far  into  the  small  hours  of  the  night 
he  lay  on  his  bed  and  listened,  whilst  in  the  farmhouse 
attic,  a  sister's  prayers  were  going  up  to  the  throne  of 
God  that  he  might  prove  for  himself  the  "  unsearchable 
riches  of  Christ." 

"If  you  please,  miss,  there  is  a  strange  gentleman 
asking  to  see  you." 

It  was  Miss   March  who  spoke.     Olive   was  writing 


A    LETTER  151 

letters  in  the  sitting-room  alone,  for  it  being  an  unusu- 
ally warm  October,  Osmond  spent  most  of  his  days  out 
of  doors. 

"Ask  him  in,"  Olive  said,  amused  at  Miss  March's 
scared  expression,  and  wondering  who  her  visitor  was. 
She  looked  up  the  next  moment  to  find  Colonel  Holmes 
standing  before  her. 

"This  is  very  kind  of  you,"  she  said  a  little  con- 
fusedly ;  for  though  a  very  old  friend  of  the  family,  and 
accustomed  formerly  to  be  a  good  bit  at  her  home,  Olive 
always  associated  him  now  with  Eddie,  and  dreaded  his 
visits. 

"  I  had  great  difficulty  in  finding  you  out,"  Colonel 
Holmes  said,  seating  himself  at  the  window  and  looking 
very  heated. 

"  You  have  never  walked  all  the  way  from  the  station 
this  afternoon  !  "  Olive  exclaimed. 

"  Indeed  I  have,  for  no  vehicle  or  horse  could  I  get, 
and  I  don't  think  I  should  have  discovered  your  where- 
abouts if  it  hadn't  been  for  a  small  pinafored  damsel  giv- 
ing her  doll  a  bath  in  a  duck  pond.  She  knew  your 
name  at  once,  and  accompanied  me  a  part  of  the  way. 
She  was  rather  puzzled  as  to  what  my  business  was. 
She  asked  me  if  I  was  a  doctor  ?  A  most  whimsical 
little  person,  who  informed  me  the  parish  belonged  to 
her  mother  and  the  church  to  her  father." 

Olive  laughed,  and  felt  more  at  ease.  She  chatted  for 
some  little  time  to  Colonel  Holmes,  answering  his  ques- 
tions about  the  different  members  of  the  family.  She 
brought  him  some  lemonade,  and  suggested  going  out 
under  the  apple  trees  in  the  orchard,  where  Osmond  was 
established. 


152  OLIVE   TRACY 

Then  came  the  dreaded  words  : 

"  Well,  the  fact  is,  I — er — want  to  have  a  few  words 
with  you  alone  about  your  brother." 

Olive's  cheeks  blanched  at  once. 

"  I  hope  he  is  going  on  well,"  she  said,  trying  to  speak 
steadily. 

"  He  is  going  to  the  dogs,"  was  the  Colonel's  blunt 
response.  "  I've  tried,  for  your  mother's  sake,  to  do  the 
best  for  him  I  can.  He  is  my  youngest  subaltern,  and 
if  he  goes  on  as  he  is  doing,  he  will  be  a  disgrace  to  the 
regiment." 

"  Oh,  Colonel  Holmes,  I  did  not  know  matters  were 
as  bad  as  that !  What  can  I  do  ?  " 

"  We  hushed  up  a  little  matter  the  other  day,"  the 
Colonel  proceeded,  "  so  as  to  give  him  another  chance. 
I  think  Denvers  was  the  aggressor,  and  he  begged  him 
off;  but  discipline  must  be  maintained,  and  I  told  him 
plainly  that  it  is  his  last  chance.  If  he  doesn't  steady 
down  now,  he  never  will.  I  don't  want  to  be  hard  on 
him,  and  I  thought  I  would  come  over  and  talk  to  you 
about  it.  Can't  you  influence  him  in  any  way  ?  He 
always  seems  to  think  a  lot  of  his  home  people." 

Olive  looked  away  into  the  garden,  despair  seizing 
hold  of  her,  and  as  she  looked,  her  eyes  grew  dim  with 
tears.  Colonel  Holmes  gazed  at  her  in  silence.  How 
sweet  her  profile  was  !  The  little  stray  curls  blowing 
over  her  forehead,  the  long,  curved  lashes  touched  now 
with  moisture  that  hid  those  deep  blue  eyes.  He  pulled 
at  his  moustache  nervously  as  he  watched  her  and  saw 
her  distress.  Yet  he  honestly  was  much  worried  over 
his  "  youngest  subaltern,"  for  reprimand  had  followed 
reprimand,  and  all  seemed  in  vain. 


A    LETTER  153 

"  I'm  sorry  to  have  brought  you  bad  news,"  he  said, 
speaking  in  a  subdued  tone.  "  I  assure  you  I  would  not 
have  troubled  you,  if  I  hadn't  been  driven  to  extremity. 
I  have  told  him  if  he  can't  keep  himself  steady  and  give 
up  this  excessive  gambling  and  drinking,  I  must — er — 
request  him  to  leave  the  regiment,  and  I  have  given  him 
one  more — but  only  one  more — chance." 

Olive  was  silent,  then  she  turned,  and  her  face  though 
white  to  the  lips,  was  perfectly  under  control. 

"  Thank  you  for  coming  to  tell  me,  Colonel  Holmes. 
It  is  kind  of  you,  for  it  would  have  been  an  awful  shock 
to  hear  of  it  from  others  first.  I  know  what  your  duty 
is  as  a  commanding  officer,  and  I  would  be  the  last  one 
to  wish  you  to  shirk  it,  on  account  of  old  friendship 
with  our  family.  You  have  given  him  yet  another 
chance  and  I  am  grateful  for  that.  I  feel  absolutely 
helpless.  I  have  written  as  strongly  as  ever  I  can  write, 
but  I  will  make  one  appeal  more.  Will  you  tell  me 
now,  as  a  friend,  do  you  think  he  would  do  better  in  an- 
other regiment  ? " 

"Yes,  I  think  he  might.  Some  of  our  chaps  are  very 
go-ahead,  and  though  they  can  pull  themselves  up  and 
are  smart  soldiers  with  it  all,  your  brother  can't,  and  he 
is  carried  with  the  stream.  Yet  this  may  be  a  lesson  to 
him." 

There  was  silence  again.  Olive  still  sat  gazing  out 
into  the  garden,  anxious  lines  showing  across  her  fore- 
head. 

Then  Colonel  Holmes  spoke  again,  very  huskily  and 
hesitatingly. 

"  We  have  known  each  other  a  long  time,  have  we 
not,  Olive  ?" 


i54  OLIVE   TRACY 

She  started,  looked  up  and  met  his  eyes;  but  could 
not  check  the  words  that  followed. 

"  I  have  felt  that  perhaps  it  wasn't  fair — a  man  of  my 
age — to  say  a  word  before  you  had  seen  something  of 
life.  I  used  to  fancy  Duke  Crofton  would  be  the 
fortunate  man,  and  I  left  the  field  to  him,  but  now  he  is 
married,  I  hear,  so  I  have  plucked  up  courage,  and  if 
you  would  listen  to  me,  my  dear,  you  would  make  such 
a  happy  man  of  me.  I  have  had  you — er — in  my  heart 
for  years,  and  no  one  ever  has  or  ever  will  be  what  you 
are  to  me." 

Poor  Colonel  Holmes  stammered  and  stuttered  out 
this  halting  speech  in  great  agitation  of  mind;  he  turned 
red  and  white  by  turns,  and  when  Olive  turned  towards 
him,  he  tried  to  pull  himself  together  and  brace  himself 
for  her  answer,  but  it  was  a  sorry  attempt. 

"  I  am  so  very,  very  sorry,"  she  faltered ;  "  but  it  can 
never  be,  Colonel  Holmes." 

"  Oh,  don't  say  so.  Take  time  and  think  about  it. 
I  wouldn't  for  the  world  take  a  mean  advantage  of  my 
position ;  but  think  as  my  wife  how  you  could  help 
your  brother.  I  thought  to  myself,  as  I  came  along  to- 
day, it  would  be  such  a  godsend  to  him,  with  his  sister's 
house  open  to  him  so  close  at  hand,  he  could  not  fail 
to  be  kept  from  all  that  pulls  him  down — and — as  I 
live — Olive  dear — I  would  give  you  the  best  love  of  my 
heart — I  am  a  blunt  man — and  can't  put  these  things 
well,  but  I  don't  believe  you  would  regret  the  step.  Don't 
give  me  an  answer  now ;  think  over  it.  Write  to  me." 

Olive  shook  her  head,  but  Colonel  Holmes  floundered 
on,  then  finally,  after  an  appealing  glance  at  her,  rose  to 
his  feet,  watch  in  hand. 


A    LETTER  155 

"  I  must  go — must  get  back  by  six  train.  No,  not  a 
word,  dear ;  if  you  have  any  liking,  the  merest  friendly 
liking  for  me,  I  will  wait.  I  would  wait  ten  years  on 
the  chance  of  your  changing  your  mind.  Think  it  over 
and  write.  I  can't  take  a  4  no '  now." 

"  Thank  you,"  Olive  murmured  ;  "  you  are  too  kind," 
then  as  he  held  her  hand  in  his  with  a  tightened  grasp, 
she  added :  "  I  will  write,  and  my  respect  and  liking  for 
you  as  a  friend  will  always  remain." 

"  God  grant  it  will  deepen  into  something  more,"  said 
the  Colonel ;  and  then,  not  being  able  to  trust  himself 
further,  he  took  a  hasty  leave,  and  Olive  fled  to  her 
room,  there  to  reflect  on  what  had  passed,  but  never 
wavering  in  her  refusal  of  her  kind  old  friend. 

"  It  would  not  really  help  Eddie,"  she  said  ;  "  nothing 
would.  It  would  place  us  both  in  very  awkward  po- 
sitions, and  I  couldn't — oh,  I  cannot  ever  marry  now ! 
Poor  Colonel  Holmes,  how  awkward  and  distressed  he 
was,  and  how  thoughtless  of  me  to  have  sent  him  of?  to 
the  station  on  foot  again  !  I  wonder  if  Andrew  is  in." 

She  ran  down  to  the  kitchen,  but  met  Miss  March  at 
the  door. 

Woman  like,  she  had  scented  some  romance  in  the 
advent  of  this  smart,  soldierly  looking  man. 

"Ah,  Miss  Tracy,  I  am  disappointed  the  gentleman 
hasn't  stayed  to  tea.  I  was  going  to  send  you  in  a  jar 
of  our  home-made  raspberry  jam.  He  seemed  to  be  in 
such  a  hurry,  but  Andrew  met  him  at  the  gate ;  he  was 
just  drivin'  in  from  the  village,  and  when  he  heard  tell 
he  was  ofF  to  the  station  he  took  him  up  and  said  he 
would  drive  him  there  himself.  Poor  Andrew  does  love 
a  talk  with  a  stranger.  I  say  to  him  very  often  he 


156 OLIVE   TRACY 

wouldn't  be  so  leanin'  on  them  for  information,  and  be 
so  easily  taken  in  by  those  that  like  to  stuff  him  with 
travellers'  tales,  if  he  were  to  read  a  bit.  Read  a  lot 
and  talk  a  little,  is  my  maxim.  But  'tis  the  other  way 
about  with  Andrew.  Not  but  what  I  don't  mean  to  be 
disrespectful  of  the  gentleman  that  is  gone,  Miss  Tracy. 
For  such  a  sad  and  dejected  face  I  never  saw  when  he 
come  out  from  your  room  !  And  I  was  sayin'  to  Ellen 
— Tea,  Miss  Tracy  ?  Oh,  certainly,  at  once.  You 
do  look  so  tired  like,  and  a  cup  of  tea  always  does  perk 
one  up ! " 

Olive  went  back  to  the  sitting-room,  feeling  that  she 
could  laugh  and  cry  in  the  same  breath. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

MYSTERIES 

Rumour  doth  double,  like  the  voice  and  echo, 
The  numbers  of  the  fear'd. — Shakespeare. 

ONLY  a  few  days  after  this  Olive  had  another  visitor, 
and  one  who  took  her  quite  by  surprise.  This  was 
Baker,  who  had  been  Lady  Crofton's  maid.  She  was  so 
exhausted  and  tired  that  Olive  would  not  let  her  talk  till 
she  had  had  some  tea,  and  then  she  burst  out  crying. 

"  Miss  Tracy,  I  am  dismissed  !  Me  that  my  dear 
mistress  promised  that  should  never  leave  the  family 
until  I  was  past  work,  and  then  I  should  be  pensioned. 
And  she  used  to  say,  'Now  mind,  Baker,  if  I  am  taken 
before  your  master,  you  must  serve  him  as  you  have 
served  me.'  And  after  her  death  I  wrote  all  his  letters 
for  him  and  used  to  read  them.  His  valet  is  a  good 
servant,  but  a  man  who  is  no  scholar.  Of  course,  Mrs. 
Crofton  took  that  out  of  my  hands  at  once,  and  it's  only 
right  and  proper,  I  know ;  but  when  she  forbids  me  my 
master's  room,  and  he  sending  me  messages  to  come, 
what  could  I  do  but  disobey  her  ?  " 

Here  Baker's  sobs  overcame  her. 

"Now,  I  won't  hear  another  word  until  you  are 
quieter,"  said  Olive  firmly  but  kindly.  "Take  your 
time,  but  don't  cry  so ;  you  will  make  yourself  quite 
ill." 

Baker  struggled  for  self-control,  and  then  sat  up  look- 
ing solemn  and  mysterious. 

157 


158  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  Miss  Tracy,  there  is  things  which  I  don't  like  at 
all ;  and  I've  come  over  to  talk  it  out  with  you,  for  I 
wouldn't  breathe  it  to  no  one  else.  I'd  do  anything  for 
the  Captain,  he  knows  I  would,  but  I'm  sadly  afraid  he 
has  been  taken  in  by  his  lady.  Now,  two  letters  to  my 
certain  knowledge  has  come  from  Mr.  Mark  for  the 
master — one  last  week  and  one  yesterday  morning.  I 
unlock  the  postbag  myself,  as  I  have  always  done,  and 
yesterday  the  master  sent  for  me.  Mrs.  Crofton  was 
in  the  grounds,  so  I  just  slipped  in.  He  is  ageing 
terrible,  Miss  Tracy ;  it's  sad  to  see  him.  He  speaks 
so  much  more  slowly  than  he  did  too,  and  with  such  an 
effort. 

" '  I  want  to  see  you  oftener,  Baker,'  he  said ;  c  you 
used  to  talk  to  me  about  my  boys.  They  are  both  lost 
to  me  now,  I  shall  never  see  them  again.'  c  Oh,  yes, 
sir,'  I  said,  4  please  God,  the  Captain  will  soon  be  back 
safe  from  the  war,  and  Mr.  Mark  will  steady  down ; 
you've  heard  from  him  this  morning,  haven't  you  ? ' 
4  No,'  he  said,  c  not  one  line  since  he  left  the  Cape,  the 
scapegrace  !  He  must  have  heard  of  his  mother's  death, 
and  not  a  line  to  his  lonely  old  father ! '  '  But,'  I  said, 
1  Mrs.  Crofton  had  his  letter  this  morning  addressed  to 
you,  and  one  came  last  week.'  He  looked  at  me  eager 
like,  then  he  whispered,  c  I  don't  like  her,  Baker ;  she 
thinks  me  a  fool.  My  speech  may  be  contemptible,  my 
heart  and  head  are  sound  yet.  She  tries  to  manage  me ; 
she  wants  me  to  alter  my  will.  She  will  have  all  she 
wants  as  Duke's  wife,  she  shall  not  have  a  personal 
legacy  from  me.  I  don't  understand  her.'  And  then, 
Miss  Tracy,  he  grew  feeble  like  and  said  he  wanted  you 
back,  and  Mrs.  Crofton  could  go,  he  didn't  want  her 


MYSTERIES  159 


any  more.  I  was  just  soothing  him  when  in  walked 
Mrs.  Crofton,  and,  Miss  Tracy,  her  eyes  looked  cruel 
at  me,  as  if  she'd  like  to  kill  me.  Before  I  could  get 
out  of  the  room  the  master  turned  to  her  quite  sharply. 
4  Was  there  a  letter  from  Mark  this  morning  ? '  says  he. 
Her  face  took  a  terrified  white  look  just  for  one  second, 
then  she  spoke  quite  calm  and  decided  like.  4  No,  there 
was  not,'  she  said ;  and  then  she  sent  me  from  the  room, 
and  half  an  hour  after,  she  comes  to  me  and  gives  me 
warning  to  leave  at  once,  and  she  advances  me  a  month's 
wages.  And  am  I  to  be  ousted  from  a  family  which  I 
have  served  faithfully  thirty  years,  Miss  Tracy,  I  ask 
you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  sorry,"  said  Olive ;  "  you  have  not 
left  already,  Baker  ?  " 

"  No,  I  told  her  the  household  would  cry  shame  on 
her  for  turning  me  out  into  the  street,  without  a  roof 
to  cover  me,  for  I've  no  kith  or  kin  of  my  own,  and 
I'm  given  a  week,  and  then  I  must  leave.  It's  the  dear 
old  master  I'm  feeling  for.  I  can't  leave  him  so ;  won't 
you  telegraph  out  to  the  Captain,  Miss  Tracy,  and  tell 
him  to  come  home.  There's  lots  o'  things  that  is  going 
on  that  ought  not  to." 

"  But  I  can't,  Baker,  I  don't  know  where  he  is ;  and 
he  couldn't  leave  his  battery  when  fighting  is  going  on." 

"  He  has  written  to  the  master  too,  once  or  twice," 
said  Baker  with  a  distressed  face.  "  Of  course,  Mrs. 
Crofton  has  all  the  letters,  and  reads  bits  out,  and  of 
course  she  has  a  right  to  have  the  Captain's,  but  not 
Mr.  Mark's,  and  to  keep  them  from  the  master,  and  tell 
an  untruth  so  calmly — why  should  she  do  it,  Miss 
Tracy  ?  " 


i6o OLIVE   TRACY 

"I  don't  know." 

Olive's  tones  were  troubled;  a  keen  pain  smote  her 
for  Duke's  sake.  Was  this  the  wife  of  his  choice  ? 
Did  it  augur  well  for  his  future  ?  And  when  she  thought 
of  his  hatred  of  anything  mean  or  dishonourable,  she 
could  have  groaned  aloud.  Himself  the  soul  of  honour, 
he  perhaps  could  hardly  make  allowance  for  any  weak 
natures,  who  succumbed  to  the  temptation  of  prevari- 
cating or  concealing  in  the  slightest  degree.  She  re- 
membered as  a  boy,  the  only  time  he  had  ever  lifted  his 
hand  against  his  brother,  was  when  Mark  was  convicted 
of  a  lie,  and  then  he  had  thrashed  him  mercilessly,  and 
was  in  his  turn  thrashed  for  having  done  it,  by  his  tutor. 

Baker  continued  in  low  mysterious  tones : 

"  But,  Miss  Olive,  this  is  not  all.  I  must  tell  you, 
though  it's  no  one  else  that  has  pieced  things  together 
as  I  have.  Her  ladyship's  jewels  and  the  Crofton  pearls 
were  in  my  charge  when  the  dear  lady  died.  I  mean  to 
say  it  was  only  I  that  knew  the  secret  of  the  lock  to 
the  jewel  case.  I  thought  maybe  the  lawyer  would  have 
taken  them  into  his  keeping,  but  the  master  told  me  no, 
they  were  safe  with  me,  and  I  might  bring  them  and 
put  them  into  his  cabinet.  I  put  them  in  there  with 
the  list,  and  when  Mrs.  Crofton  came  she  coaxed  the 
master  to  show  them  to  her.  It  was  when  he  liked  her 
so,  before  she  had  got  so  managing,  and  he  told  her  they 
all  belonged  to  the  Captain's  wife,  that  the  pearls  were 
an  heirloom,  and  that  though  they  would  be  hers,  she 
must  not  wear  them  till  the  Captain  came  back.  She 
seemed  wonderful  taken  with  them,  and  after  a  time  she 
persuaded  him  to  let  her  have  the  case  in  her  keeping, 
so  I  never  saw  any  more  of  them  till  the  other  day  I 


MYSTERIES  161 


went  into  her  room  for  something,  and  she  was  sitting 
with  the  case  open  and  the  pearls  in  her  lap,  and  Miss 
Tracy,  believe  me,  she  started  and  shook  like  some 
guilty  thing  when  I  came  in,  and  she  turned  round  upon 
me  like  a  fury  and  ordered  me  out  of  the  door,  saying  I 
was  always  spying  and  eavesdropping  !  So  I  was  angry, 
very  angry,  and  I  determined  to  be  a  spy  to  some  pur- 
pose, and  find  out  what  she  was  up  to,  and  the  day  after, 
when  she  was  out,  I  opened  the  case  and  went  over  the 
list  to  see  that  all  was  correct  as  I  left  them,  and,  Miss 
Tracy,  the  pearls  was  clean  gone,  their  case  was  there 
but  not  the  pearls  !  " 

"  Oh,  Baker !  "  exclaimed  Olive  in  real  distress,  "  I 
would  rather  you  told  me  no  more,  you  are  prejudiced 
and  suspicious.  Think  of  whom  you  are  speaking ! 
Captain  Crofton's  wife,  the  future  Lady  Crofton !  I 
would  rather  not  hear  these  things.  I  feel  degraded  by 
listening  to  them.  You  can't  be  accusing  Mrs.  Crofton 
of  stealing  her  own  pearls  !  Most  likely  she  has  moved 
them  to  another  place.  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

Baker  met  Olive's  vehement  speech  with  a  stolid  face. 
She  had  long  ago  dried  her  tears,  and  was  now  bent  on 
delivering  her  mind. 

"  Miss  Tracy,  I  am  being  turned  away ;  you  may  say 
it  is  spite,  but  I  will  speak  out  to  you,  though  my  lips 
are  sealed  on  this  subject  to  every  one  else.  Mrs.  Crof- 
ton is  a  riddle  to  me.  It  seems  as  if  she  has  a  craving 
for  money.  The  master  gives  her  cheque  after  cheque ; 
he  gave  her  one  for  Triggs'  wages  in  my  hearing,  yet  a 
week  after  Triggs  couldn't  get  his  money,  and  then  it 
wasn't  given  all  at  once,  only  bit  by  bit !  Don't  be 
angry,  Miss  Tracy,  let  me  speak,  there's  more  to  come. 


162  OLIVE   TRACY 

I  don't  know  if  you  know  that  Mr.  Wells  has  gone. 
Mrs.  Crofton  talked  about  him  to  Sir  Marmaduke  and 
sent  him  away,  and  I  will  say  he  was  always  a  handful, 
for  her  ladyship  used  to  say  so,  but  a  new  agent  has 
come  now,  a  Mr.  Mordaunt,  and  Mrs.  Crofton  has  taken 
him  up  so  wonderfully.  He  seems  to  know  his  business 
well,  but  Mrs.  Crofton,  she's  always  saying  she  is  going 
out  to  talk  over  things  with  him.  Of  course,  she's  a  lady 
and  the  present  mistress,  I  suppose,  but  I  don't  like  to 
see  the  Captain's  lady  walking  up  and  down  in  the  plan- 
tation path  after  dark  with  Mr.  Mordaunt.  And  it  is 
not  only  me  that  has  noticed  them,  for  Triggs  was 
coming  back  late  one  evening,  and  he  saw  their  shadows 
distinctly." 

"  Well,  Baker,  you  have  been  such  a  faithful  friend 
of  the  family,  that  I  must  not  be  angry  with  you ;  but 
if  you  have  any  real  love  and  respect  in  your  heart  for 
Captain  Crofton,  do  try  and  hush  these  miserable  stories 
up.  Think  what  he  would  say  if  he  were  to  hear  you 
speaking  in  such  a  way  of  his  wife  !  You  make  me 
perfectly  wretched  to  hear  you  !  " 

Olive  had  spoken  with  flushed  cheeks  and  sparkling 
eyes,  but  now  she  covered  her  face  with  her  hands,  and 
Baker  looked  long  and  wistfully  at  her;  then  she  said 
despondently,  "  It's  just  a  big  heartbreak  to  me,  Miss 
Tracy  ;  but  it's  the  truth — every  bit  of  it !  And  what 
it  all  means,  I  don't  know.  I  only  wish  the  Captain 
was  back.  It  wants  some  one  to  keep  things  straight  at 
the  Court." 

There  was  silence ;  then  Olive  looked  up  and  tried  to 
shake  off  the  wave  of  depression  that  seemed  to  have 
settled  on  her  spirit. 


MYSTERIES  163 


"  I  don't  know  what  I  can  do  to  help  you,  Baker,  but 
I  will  come  over  and  speak  to  Sir  Marmaduke  and  to 
Mrs.  Crofton.  Lady  Crofton  used  to  say  to  me  that 
when  you  became  too  old  to  be  her  maid,  she  would 
make  you  her  housekeeper;  perhaps  if  Mrs.  Crofton 
does  not  need  you  as  maid,  she  would  find  some  other 
niche  for  you.  I  will  do  all  I  can.  I  will  try  and  come 
over  to-morrow  afternoon." 

Baker  expressed  her  thanks,  and  after  a  little  further 
talk  she  departed.  Olive  sat  by  the  casement  window 
and  looked  out  into  the  garden  with  perplexity  and  grief. 

"Oh,  Duke,  Duke !  "  was  her  inward  cry;  "have  you 
been  taken  in  ?  What  does  it  all  mean  ?  What  a  future 
for  you  when  you  come  home  !  How  will  you  bear  it  ? 
It  all  seems  like  some  hideous  dream.  And  where  are 
you  now  ?  Perhaps  you  will  never  live  to  come  back." 
Then  her  thoughts  travelled  over  Baker's  recital ;  she 
could  not  more  than  half  believe  it,  and  she  felt  ashamed 
of  having  been  a  listener  to  such  talk.  She  resolved  she 
would  say  nothing  to  Osmond  about  it,  but  for  the  pres- 
ent keep  it  entirely  to  herself.  And  then  with  a  little 
sigh  she  went  out  into  the  sunshine,  shaking  off  her 
gloom  as  she  did  so.  It  was  one  of  her  characteristics 
that  she  could  do  this  with  perfect  ease ;  her  nature  was 
an  intensely  bright  and  hopeful  one,  and  not  all  her 
troubles  and  cares  that  had  deepened  so  within  the  past 
few  months  could  rob  her  face  of  its  vivid  brightness  and 
freshness.  She  found  Osmond  sketching  in  his  wheel 
chair.  Up  on  some  low  branches  of  an  old  apple  tree 
opposite,  sat  Ida  with  Beautiful  as  usual  in  her  arms. 
She  was  carrying  on  an  animated  conversation  on  the 
merits  of  high  positions. 


1 64  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  If  I  had  wings,  I  would  always  be  quite  happy. 
You  feel  so  grown  up  when  you're  up  high.  I  like 
looking  down  at  people,  not  up,  like  I  have  to.  Next 
to  being  a  bird,  I'd  like  to  be  a  giraffe,  and  then  if  I 
went  to  church  I  would  be  quite  as  tall  as  father  in  the 
pulpit !  " 

Olive  seated  herself  in  a  lounge  chair  by  Osmond, 
and  then  with  a  bound  and  a  spring  Ida  was  at  her 
knee. 

"  Now,  Miss  Tracy,  baby  me  like  I  do  Beautiful." 

"  Baby  me,"  meant  being  taken  on  Olive's  lap  and 
petted. 

"  You're  a  spoilt  child,"  said  Olive,  tenderly  taking 
her  up,  and  ruffling  her  fair  curly  hair  with  her  hand. 
"  Does  mother  like  you  spending  so  much  time  with  us 
here  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  nodded  Ida ;  "  she  says  I  shan't  learn  to 
speak  like  the  villagers  if  I'm  with  you  ;  she  says  you 
waste  the  country,  what  does  she  mean  ?  Waste  means 
to  throw  away.  You  can't  throw  away  all  the  grass, 
and  fields,  and  cows,  and  trees,  can  you  ?  " 

"  I  expect,"  said  Osmond  laughing,  "  your  mother 
said  she  was  wasted  in  the  country,  or  something  like 
that,  didn't  she  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  s'pose  she  did.  What  strange  old  woman 
have  you  been  talking  to  ?  " 

"  A  nice  old  woman  whom  I  have  known  for  many 
years,"  responded  Olive. 

"  When  I  get  to  be  an  old  woman,"  pursued  the  child 
with  her  quick  changes  of  thought,  "  I  shall  always  sit  in 
a  rocking  chair  and  eat  peppermints,  and  I  shall  have 
Beautiful  dressed  in  a  cap  and  bonnet  just  like  me,  and 


MYSTERIES  165 


we'll  knit  stockings,  and  have  hot  buttered  toast  for  tea, 
and  it  will  be  lovely  !  " 

"Lovely  !  "  echoed  Olive  ;  "  I  am  beginning  to  envy 
infant  youth  and  old  age,  Diogenes." 

«  Why  ?  " 

"  It  is  free  from  responsibility." 

"  What  responsibility  do  you  want  to  shirk  ?  " 

"  That  of  interference  in  my  neighbour's  household." 

"  Anything  wrong  at  Crofton  Court  ?  " 

"  Baker  has  been  dismissed,  and  wants  me  to  speak 
for  her." 

"  Rather  a  difficult  matter  won't  it  be  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  don't  think  Mrs.  Crofton  will  thank  me.  I 
must  go  over  to-morrow,  and  see  what  I  can  do." 

"  I  wish  we  could  hear  from  his  Grace.  These 
dreadful  British  losses  every  day,  keep  one  in  an  awful 
suspense.  Every  one  seems  to  think  it  will  be  a  very 
long  affair,  and  he  ought  to  be  home — for  his  father's 
sake  !  " 

A  troubled  look  had  stolen  into  Olive's  eyes.  Was 
there  a  minute  of  the  day,  from  the  time  she  opened  the 
newspaper  in  the  morning  until  she  laid  her  head  on  her 
pillow  at  night,  that  Duke  on  the  veldt,  in  the  midst  of 
all  the  horrors  of  war,  was  not  in  her  thoughts  ? 

"  He  may  never  come  home,"  she  said. 

"Who  is  he?"  inquired  Ida  with  sudden  interest. 
"  Is  he  the  gentleman  who  walked  along  the  road,  and 
asked  me  the  way  ?  " 

"  No  darling,  this  gentleman  is  fighting  out  in 
Africa." 

"  What  a  wicked  man  ! " 

Osmond  chuckled. 


166  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  He  is  a  soldier,  Miss  Oddity,  it's  his  duty." 

"  Oh  is  he  ? "  Then  with  glowing  eyes  the  child 
looked  up  at  Olive. 

"I  fighted  Tommy  Lane  one  day  all  by  myself,  I  did, 
he  called  Beautiful  names ;  and  I  sat  her  down,  and  I 
fighted  him  for  ever  so  long  till — till  he  cried  !  " 

"That  was  very  naughty." 

"  It  was — was  duty,"  said  Ida  in  a  meditative  tone. 

Olive  shook  her  head  at  her. 

"  Girls  and  women  never  fight,  never !  It  is  different 
with  soldiers,  they  do  it  to  protect  their  queen  and 
country  from  enemies." 

"  Beautiful  is  nicer  than  the  queen,"  was  the  stubborn 
reply  ;  "  and  Tommy  is  a  wicked  enemy,  he  makes  faces, 
and  points  his  finger  at  Beautiful,  and  he  runs  away 
when  he  sees  me  now.  He's  as  big  as  me,  but  I  fighted 
him,  and  he  cried  !  " 

"  Talk  to  her,  Diogenes,  and  show  her  that  women 
must  never  right  their  wrongs." 

And  putting  down  the  child,  Olive  walked  indoors 
with  her  heart  feeling  sore  still  at  Baker's  recitals. 

The  next  day  she  went  over  to  the  Court.  As  she 
was  walking  from  the  station  along  the  well-known  road, 
she  met  Lord  Bannister  and  his  daughter  riding.  They 
stopped  to  speak  to  her,  and  Muriel  begged  her  to  dine 
and  sleep  the  night  with  them. 

"  We  hardly  ever  see  you  ;  it  is  such  a  chance  !  " 

"  Diogenes  would  be  so  anxious,"  said  Olive. 

"  Nonsense,"  Lord  Bannister  said  cheerily  ;  "  we 
will  take  no  denial ;  I  will  send  him  a  wire.  You're 
only  vegetating  out  at  that  old  farm,  and  it  will  do  you 
good  to  see  some  of  your  old  friends  again.  Dot  has 


MYSTERIES  167 


been  meditating  a  swoop  down  upon  you  for  the  last 
week." 

All  her  objections  were  waived  aside,  and  she  finally 
promised  to  do  what  they  wished  her.  Before  she  left 
them  Lord  Bannister  said :  "  Will  you  be  seeing  Sir 
Marmaduke  ?  " 

"  I  hope  so.     I  generally  do." 

"  Of  course  it  is  none  of  my  business,  but  I  do  not 
think  he  has  changed  for  the  better  with  his  present 
agent.  I  see  he  is  cutting  down  a  quantity  of  timber 
at  the  top  of  his  covers.  I  wonder  if  he  knows  it.  It 
will  ruin  that  bit  of  his  property.  I  did  say  to  the 
fellow  that  it  was  a  pity,  and  asked  him  if  Sir  Marma- 
duke had  ordered  it.  He  was  very  stiff,  and  said  that 
everything  was  in  Mrs.  Crofton's  hands  now,  and  she 
knew  about  it.  I'm  afraid  she  is  very  inexperienced  in 
such  matters.  Lady  Crofton  was  the  one  who  could 
tackle  business  affairs  !  " 

"Father,"  said  Muriel  reproachfully,  "you  will  make 
Olive  think  you  are  a  regular  busybody.  The  Croftons 
needn't  ask  our  advice  about  their  timber.  Now  come 
along,  and  we  shall  see  Olive  later." 

But  those  chance  words  brought  a  shade  to  Olive's 
face  as  she  walked  on.  And  when  she  reached  the  stone 
bridge  that  she  knew  so  well,  the  old  heartache  came 
back  with  a  rush. 

"  Oh  Duke,  Duke,  if  only  you  were  here  !  And  yet 
how  could  I  bear  to  see  you  with  your — your  wife  !  " 

She  stood  looking  over  the  low  wall  into  the  flowing 
river.  There  are  some  scenes  that  we  go  through  with 
careless  indifference  at  the  time,  little  thinking  that  they 
will  be  indelibly  stamped  upon  our  memories  for  the  rest 


i68 OLIVE   TRACY 

of  our  lives.  She  saw  herself  on  that  bright  spring 
morning,  now  so  very  long  ago,  as  she  stood  defiantly 
in  front  of  one  who  was  throwing  his  whole  soul  into 
the  words  he  uttered ;  the  words  which  she  treated  with 
such  light  scorn  at  the  time.  She  saw  him  standing  in 
his  strong  manhood ;  she  could  almost  feel  the  close, 
masterful  clasp  of  his  hands  as  he  imprisoned  hers  in  his. 
The  tone  of  his  clear  ringing  voice,  with  the  touch  of 
wistful  tenderness  in  it,  and  the  earnest  gleam  in  his 
clear  grey  eyes  as  he  said :  "  Olive,  I  do  not  believe  you 
know  your  own  heart," — it  all  came  back  to  her  now 
with  vivid  intensity.  She  again  recalled  her  mocking 
little  speech,  and  heard  the  quickly-caught  breath  with 
which  he  dropped  her  hands  and  turned  away.  "  Oh 
what  a  fool  I  was  !  What  a  mess  I  have  made  of  my 
life  !  "  she  exclaimed,  for  a  moment  quite  absorbed  in 
remorse  for  the  past.  Then  her  thoughts  took  an  up- 
ward turn.  "  I  will  not  let  it  spoil  my  life.  God  has 
my  future  in  His  hand  ;  I  can  trust  Him  and  be  con- 
tent." Then  resolutely  she  turned  her  thoughts  to  the 
present  and  walked  rapidly  on. 


CHAPTER  XV 

FAMILY    JEWELS 

The  varnish  of  power  brings  forth  at  once  the  defects  and  the 
beauties  of  the  human  portrait. — Lord  Lytton. 

TRIGGS  met  her  in  the  hall. 

"  The  master  has  been  asking  for  you  lately,  ma'am," 
he  said.  "  He  will  be  very  glad  to  see  you." 

"  Tell  him  I  will  come  to  him,"  said  Olive  brightly ; 
and  then  going  upstairs  she  found  Cora  writing  at  the 
davenport  in  the  drawing-room.  She  started  when  she 
saw  who  her  visitor  was,  and  came  forward  very  coldly. 

"  I  am  surprised  to  see  you,"  she  said.  "  It  is  a  good 
thing  I  happen  to  be  in,  for  you  might  have  had  your 
journey  in  vain.  Why  don't  you  send  us  a  card  before- 
hand, so  that  we  may  know  when  to  expect  you  ?  " 

"  I  thought  I  would  take  my  chance,"  said  Olive 
pleasantly.  "  How  is  Sir  Marmaduke  ?  " 

"  Rather  poorly." 

"  I  am  sorry.  Have  you  had  any  news  from  the 
Front  ? " 

"  We  have  had  one  letter.  Marmaduke  is  with  Sir 
George  White,  but  it  was  written  before  the  actual 
fighting  began." 

"  Then  he  has  been  all  through  Talana  Hill  and 
Elandslaagte  ?  I  have  been  looking  for  his  battery. 
Where  is  it  now  ?  I  haven't  seen  it  mentioned  in  the 
paper." 

169 


i  ;o  OLIVE   TRACY 

Olive  spoke  eagerly,  and  Cora  eyed  her  curiously. 

"  We  are  thankful  not  to  see  his  name  in  the  casu- 
alty lists.  He  is  with  Sir  George  White.  I  cannot  give 
you  further  details." 

"  You  take  it  coolly.     I  envy  you  !  " 

"  You  seem  to  take  a  peculiar  interest  in  Marma- 
duke  ? " 

"  I  don't  think  it  is  a  peculiar  one.  I  should  say  it 
was  a  very  natural  one,  as  I  have  known  him  all  my 
life.  I  feel  as  much  for  him  as  I  should  do  for  my  own 
brother." 

Olive  was  conscious  that  her  cheeks  were  flushed,  and 
Cora's  quiet  smile  as  she  noted  it  too  did  not  help  to- 
wards composure. 

"  You  must  be  longing  to  have  him  here,"  said  Olive 
after  a  minute's  silence ;  "  Sir  Marmaduke  ought  to  have 
one  of  his  sons  at  home  to  look  after  things.  Dear 
Lady  Crofton  did  so  much  when  she  was  alive ;  but  no 
one  can  take  her  place  now,  and  every  time  I  see  Sir 
Marmaduke  his  feebleness  strikes  me  afresh." 

"Yes,"  assented  Cora  rather  sweetly;  "he  is  not  up 
to  much  exertion,  and  he  cannot  receive  visitors  as  he 
used  to  do;  it  always  seems  to  unnerve  him.  I  shall 
tell  him  you  have  called,  he  likes  to  hear  of  people, 
though  he  cannot  see  them." 

"  I  think  he  will  see  me,"  was  Olive's  quiet  response 
to  this  statement,  "  for  my  call  was  really  on  him 
to-day." 

"  I  am  sorry  — "  began  Cora  with  an  angry  light  in 
her  dark  eyes,  but  the  door  opening  stopped  further 
speech.  It  was  Triggs,  who  addressed  Olive :  "  The 
master  would  like  to  see  you  now,  ma'am." 


FAMILY   JEWELS  171 

Olive  got  up  without  another  word  and  left  the  room, 
Cora  following  her  closely,  and  plainly  showing  her 
annoyance. 

"  He  will  suffer  afterwards  for  this,"  she  said,  trying 
to  speak  quietly ;  "  I  must  beg  you  not  to  stay  long." 

Olive  said  nothing ;  she  was  reserving  all  her  courage 
for  what  she  had  to  say.  She  found  Sir  Marmaduke 
brighter  than  usual,  and  he  looked  unfeignedly  glad  to 
see  her. 

"  I  wish  you  would  come  oftener,"  he  said ;  "  all  my 
old  friends  are  dropping  away,  and  I  am  a  lonely  old 
man." 

Olive  chatted  brightly  to  him  on  different  subjects. 
Cora  sat  in  an  easy  chair  with  rather  a  haughty  and  in- 
different air,  occasionally  joining  in  the  conversation. 
Presently  Olive  said,  half  turning  to  her,  "  I  have  come 
to-day  specially  to  plead  Baker's  cause,  and  to  ask  you 
and  Sir  Marmaduke  if,  in  consideration  of  all  her  years  of 
faithful  service,  you  could  not  find  some  other  niche  in 
the  house  for  her  ?  " 

"  Baker  is  not  going  ?  "  Sir  Marmaduke  exclaimed 
hastily. 

Cora's  face  was  not  pleasant  to  look  at ;  but  before 
she  could  speak  Olive  continued,  "  I  know  you  will  not 
like  my  interference,  Mrs.  Crofton,  and  I  am  sorry  for 
it,  but  hearing  the  facts  I  felt  obliged  to  come  and  tell 
you  what  perhaps  you  do  not  know.  Lady  Crofton 
promised  Baker  that  when  she  got  too  old  to  do  her 
duties  as  maid,  she  should  be  made  housekeeper.  I  was 
wondering  whether  this  would  make  a  difference  in  your 
decision.  It  is  natural  that  any  one  should  prefer  to 
have  a  younger  maid  about  them,  but  if  you  could  keep 


172  OLIVE  TRACY 

her  on  in  any  other  capacity  it  would  be  a  great  kind- 
ness. The  poor  woman  is  nearly  heartbroken  about  it." 

"  Certainly  she  must  not  go,"  said  Sir  Marmaduke  ; 
and  his  voice  rang  out  clearly  and  decidedly.  "  Why  do 
you  wish  to  send  her  away,  Cora  ?  " 

"  I  think,  father,  these  matters  are  best  discussed  be- 
tween ourselves,  when  we  are  alone,"  said  Cora,  in  a 
tone  that  vibrated  with  quiet  anger;  "  I  am  not  dismiss- 
ing her  without  cause,  and  it  would  have  been  best  for 
herself  if  she  had  gone  quietly  without  a  word." 

"  She  must  not  leave,"  Sir  Marmaduke  said  queru- 
lously ;  "  I  like  to  have  her  in  and  out  attending  to  me. 
Why  do  you  want  her  to  go  ?  " 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment.  Olive  had  said  her 
say,  and  awaited  the  result  with  trepidation.  But  she 
was  hardly  prepared  for  Cora's  explanation. 

"  Father,  do  not  distress  yourself.  I  am  exceedingly 
sorry  that  this  matter  has  been  brought  before  you.  It 
will  only  worry  you,  and  I  do  not  like  mentioning  it 
even  before  Miss  Tracy.  I  am  afraid,  like  many  others, 
Baker  has  succumbed  to  the  temptation  of  appropriating 
things  of  her  late  mistress's  to  herself.  I  have  no  actual 
proof  of  this,  so  have  dismissed  her  without  a  word ; 
but  she  has  tampered,  I  fear,  with  some  of  Lady  Crof- 
ton's  jewellery.  Several  small  things  are  missing." 

Sir  Marmaduke  leant  forward  in  his  chair  eagerly. 

"  Impossible !  I  cannot  believe  it !  Bring  the  case 
here  at  once,  Cora ;  send  for  it !  My  dear  wife's  jewels  ! 
What  are  missing  ?  " 

"  There  is  no  need  for  me  to  trouble  you  with  it, 
father,"  began  Cora,  changing  colour  a  little ;  "  you  will 
be  ill  if  you  excite  yourself." 


FAMILY  JEWELS  173 

Sir  Marmaduke  cut  her  short.  He  seemed  to  gather 
strength  from  Olive's  silent  presence. 

"  Bring  the  jewel  case  to  me.  I  ought  never  to  have 
let  it  go  from  my  possession.  It  is  too  great  a  respon- 
sibility for  you,  my  dear.  When  your  husband  returns 
it  will  be  all  right,  but  until  then  I  shall  keep  it.  Send 
for  it  at  once." 

And  he  would  not  be  quieted  till  the  jewel  case  was 
brought  in.  Olive,  indignant  at  the  accusation  against 
Baker,  determined  to  stay  till  the  matter  was  sifted. 
And  yet,  when  she  saw  Cora's  unconcealed  agitation, 
and  realised  how  much  might  result  in  this  visit  of  hers, 
she  wished  she  had  never  come,  for  she  felt  it  disloyal  to 
the  absent  husband  to  harass  and  distress  his  wife  in  such 
a  way. 

Sir  Marmaduke  insisted  upon  looking  through  the 
contents  of  the  case  himself.  "I'm  not  quite  a  fool," 
he  kept  muttering  to  himself,  and  indeed  he  appeared  to 
know  every  article  on  the  list.  It  was  touching  to  see 
him  fingering  the  diamond  ring  that  he  had  first  given 
his  wife  on  their  betrothal  so  many  years  ago.  The 
pendant  of  brilliants  she  had  worn  on  her  wedding-day 
was  gazed  at  with  misty  eyes,  and  then  came  an  inquiry 
for  the  pearls.  They  were  not  forthcoming,  but  Cora 
quietly  accounted  for  their  absence. 

"  You  remember  that  the  clasp  was  a  little  out  of  re- 
pair. When  I  was  in  town  last  week  I  took  them  to 
the  jeweller's  to  have  it  repaired." 

"But—  '  stammered  Sir  Marmaduke,  "you  really 
should  not  have  done  that  without  consulting  me.  Do 
—do  you  realise  the  value  of  them  ?  It  is  a  serious 
matter  to  have  them  out  of  our  hands  at  all  " 


174 OLIVE   TRACY 

"  It  was  because  I  did  understand  the  value  of  them 
that  I  took  them  myself,"  replied  Cora.  "  I  knew  they 
could  not  travel  by  post.  I  could  not  ask  you,  for  it 
was  one  of  your  bad  days,  and  you  sent  me  a  message 
to  say  you  did  not  wish  to  be  disturbed.  If  you  remem- 
ber, you  told  me  you  intended  to  have  the  clasp  re- 
paired." 

"  I  am  sure  I  forget,"  Sir  Marmaduke  replied  a  little 
testily.  "  You  ought  to  have  asked  me  of  course.  I 
presume  you  took  them  to  J ,  in  Bond  Street  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  I  shall  be  quite  anxious  till  they  come  back,  but 

J can  be  trusted.  Well — well — let  us  go  through 

the  list.  Now  what  is  missing  ?  " 

Cora  bent  over  the  case,  and,  after  a  little  hesitation, 
pointed  out  that  a  turquoise  and  pearl  brooch  and  pend- 
ant were  not  there. 

"But,  bless  my  soul!"  ejaculated  Sir  Marmaduke, 
"  don't  you  remember  I  took  those  out  before  I  gave 
you  the  case,  and  told  you  I  should  give  them  to  Olive 
here  !  I'm  glad  I  am  reminded.  Open  my  top  cabinet 
drawer  and  give  me  that  small  box.  You  have  been 
making  a  fuss  over  nothing !  " 

Cora  flushed  a  little. 

"  It  quite  escaped  my  memory.  It  is  a  relief.  I  was 
quite  worried,  and  Baker  declared  she  had  never  seen 
them.  How  stupid  of  me  not  to  remember  !  " 

She  looked  quite  relieved,  and  got  the  little  box 
which  was  handed  over  to  Olive  at  once. 

"  Keep  it  in  remembrance  of  my  dear  wife,  she  was 
very  fond  of  you.  We  always  thought  you  would  be 
our  daughter.  Oh  dear,  I  am  a  lonely  old  man  !  " 


FAMILY  JEWELS  175 

Cora  shot  a  keen  glance  at  Olive  through  her  half 
closed  eyes.  Sir  Marmaduke  had  put  into  words  what 
she  had  already  conjectured ;  and  she  did  not  like  Olive 
the  better  for  it. 

And  then,  after  thanking  the  old  man  gratefully  for 
his  gift,  Olive  rose  to  go. 

"I  am  so  glad,"  she  said  heartily,  "that  Baker  is 
cleared,  I  felt  sure  that  there  was  a  mistake  somewhere." 

"  Of  course,  of  course — Baker  must  come  in  and 
look  after  me  sometimes,  if  there  is  no  work  for  her  to 
do." 

And  having,  as  he  thought,  settled  the  matter,  Sir 
Marmaduke  dismissed  it  from  his  mind.  He  made  Cora 
put  the  jewel  case  in  his  cabinet,  and  then  the  two  girls 
left  him. 

Cora  gave  Olive  her  hand  and  wished  her  good  even- 
ing, but  not  a  word  more  did  she  say ;  and  Olive  felt 
very  doubtful  as  she  left  the  house  as  to  whether  she  had 
done  Baker  harm  or  good  by  her  interference. 

Cora  watched  her  go  down  the  drive  from  the  draw- 
ing-room windows. 

u  I  hate  her  !  "  she  said  stamping  her  slender  foot ; 
"  she  shall  not  thwart  me,  or  spoil  my  plans  !  She  loves 
Marmaduke,  and  I  wonder  she  dares  keep  a  footing  here 
under  the  circumstances  !  " 

Then  the  angry  light  died  out  of  her  eyes,  and  an 
harassed  hunted  look  took  possession  of  them. 

"  I  am  not  cut  out  for  a  villain,"  she  murmured  ;  "  I 
haven't  the  self-possession.  I  am  simply  driven  against 
my  will — oh  if  they  only  knew  !  I  think  even  Olive 
would  pity  me  !  " 

Olive   reached    Blackenbury  Manor   in   time  for  five 


176  OLIVE   TRACY 

o'clock  tea.  Muriel  had  just  come  in  from  her  ride,  and 
her  bright  words  of  welcome  came  as  a  cheer  after  the 
uncomfortable  atmosphere  at  Crofton  Court. 

"Now  sit  in  that  comfortable  chair  you  dear  old 
thing,  and  I  will  pet  you  a  little.  I  never  used  to  see 
you  look  so  grave.  Father  is  out,  so  we  will  have  a  nice 
little  chat.  There,  you're  smiling  at  last,  now  you  are 
your  old  self!  And  here's  a  cup  of  tea  and  my  favourite 
hot  cakes.  Now  guess  who  I  saw  last  week  ?  " 

"  Man  or  woman  ?  "  queried  Olive,  quite  recovering 
her  spirits. 

"  Man.     I  think  he  considers  himself  so ! " 

"  I'm  sure  I  can't  guess.     Where  were  you  ?  " 

"  At  the  Wingate's  dance." 

"Not  Eddie?" 

"  Yes,  Eddie.  Several  of  his  regiment  were  there.  I 
sat  out  a  dance  with  him  for  the  sake  of  old  times,  and 
we  had  rather  a  serious  talk.  Have  you  heard  from  him 
lately  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Olive  slowly,  "  not  since  I  wrote  him  a 
letter  nearly  three  weeks  ago." 

"  I  expect  you  will  hear  soon.  And  yet  I  don't  think 
it  will  be  betraying  his  confidence  if  I  tell  you,  for  I 
think  it  is  the  result  of  your  letter.  He  is  going  to  try 
to  exchange  into  another  regiment." 

"  Oh  I  wish  he  would.  I  have  wanted  him  to  for  a 
long  time." 

Muriel  gave  a  comprehensive  little  nod. 

"  He  is  a  dear  boy,"  she  said  with  a  little  grand- 
motherly air.  "  I  tried  to  give  him  good  advice,  for  I 
think  he  is  really  going  to  steady  down.  He  said  some- 
thing that  rather  surprised  me.  I  remarked  that  it  was 


FAMILY   JEWELS  177 

better  to  pull  up  at  the  top  of  a  hill  than  at  the  bottom. 
And  he  said  quite  gravely,  *  But  if  you  are  so  on  the  in- 
cline that  you  can't  pull  yourself  up,  it  is  good  to  have  a 
stronger  power  than  yourself  to  stop  you  ! '  And  he 
looked — well — as  if  he  were  in  church,  Olive,  as  he 
said  it." 

A  great  hope  leaped  up  in  Olive's  heart  at  these 
words. 

Muriel  went  on  with  a  little  laugh  — 

"  I  assure  you  we  talked  like  an  old  man  and  woman 
for  about  half  an  hour,  and  then  to  make  sure  we  were 
after  all  still  quite  young,  we  had  a  dance  together  and 
talked  nonsense  for  the  rest  of  the  evening.  Now  tell 
me  about  yourselves.  How  is  Elsie  ?  " 

"  They  are  just  coming  back  to  London.  Elsie  is 
radiantly  happy.  She  has  as  she  says  unfurled  her  petals, 
and  discovered  that  she  is  no  longer  a  common  field 
flower ! " 

"  I  always  knew  Elsie  had  a  lot  in  her,  but  I  think  she 
will  get  tired  of  town  soon.  I  know  I  did.  One  season 
was  quite  enough  for  me." 

"  Oh  you're  a  Bohemian  by  nature  !  " 

"  Yes  I  am  ;  and  I  am  longing  to  be  off  somewhere 
again.  Perhaps  our  next  trip  will  be  to  Abyssinia  !  " 

"  Oh  Dot,  surely  not !  " 

"  I  hope  so,  but  father  will  not  go  till  next  year,  he 
says." 

They  chatted  on,  and  presently  Lord  Bannister  came 
in.  Olive  always  enjoyed  herself  at  the  manor.  Father 
and  daughter  were  charming  in  their  conversation.  Cul- 
ture and  travel,  with  originality  combined,  served  to 
make  them  always  entertaining  to  their  friends. 


178  OLIVE   TRACY 

But  Lord  Bannister's  face  was  very  grave,  as  he  came 
towards  the  girls. 

"  Bad  news  from  the  Front,"  he  said.  "  I  have  just 
seen  Hawkins  who  has  come  down  from  town.  The 
evening  papers  are  full  of  it.  A  disaster  at  Nicholson's 
Nek.  Numbers  of  the  Gloucestershire  and  Royal  Irish 
Fusiliers  have  been  made  prisoners,  both  officers  and 
men.  They  fought  hard  before  surrendering,  but  were 
quite  cut  off  in  the  hills.  Hawkins  has  a  nephew  who 
has  been  killed." 

"  I  wonder  if  Duke  Crofton  was  in  it  ?  "  said  Olive 
trying  to  speak  quietly. 

"  A  battery  of  the  mountain  artillery  has  surrendered, 
but  Crofton's  battery  is  not  mentioned." 

Olive  breathed  again. 

44 How  dreadful  it  seems,"  she  said,  "while  we  are  at 
home  in  peace  and  comfort,  to  have  our  soldiers  fight- 
ing out  there  day  and  night,  hour  by  hour,  without  ces- 
sation." 

"White  will  be  surrounded,"  said  Lord  Bannister. 
"  He  hasn't  a  strong  enough  force  with  him.  If  only 
we  had  sent  our  reinforcements  out  quicker,  we  shouldn't 
be  at  such  a  disadvantage  !  But  Buller  will  be  arriving 
to-morrow.  We  must  hope  he  will  do  something." 
Little  was  talked  of  now  but  the  war.  Lord  Bannister 
knew  a  good  bit  about  South  Africa,  and  he  was  not  san- 
guine about  the  future. 

"  The  war  will  last  for  six  or  eight  months.  We 
have  no  idea  of  the  power  of  our  enemy.  The  Boers 
have  been  preparing  for  this  for  years." 

After  dinner  Muriel  forbade  any  more  "  war  talk  "  as 
she  called  it.  She  went  to  the  piano,  and  began  playing 


FAMILY  JEWELS  179 

some  of  her  soft  weird  symphonies.  Olive  listened  with 
keen  enjoyment,  and  when  she  had  left  the  instrument, 
said  with  a  little  sigh  : 

"  I  always  envy  people  with  such  a  gift  as  yours." 

"You  sing,  Olive  !  " 

"  No,  I  have  given  it  up.  I  knew  I  should  never  do 
much  at  it  professionally,  and  I  was  too  busy.  I  am 
a  very  useless  creature  in  the  way  of  accomplishments  !  " 

"  Nonsense  !  I  believe  you  could  do  anything  you 
chose,"  said  Muriel  impetuously. 

Olive  laughed. 

"  I  am  a  practical  matter-of-fact  person.  I  don't  care 
for  fancy  work,  I  don't  sketch  or  paint,  or  play,  or  com- 
pose verses  or  write.  I  think  I  can  cook  and  housekeep, 
and  perhaps  nurse ;  and  I  like  a  book,  and  a  garden  for 
recreation  !  " 

"  Better  fitted  for  a  wife  than  a  spinster,"  said  Lord 
Bannister  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye. 

"  No,"  said  Olive  with  a  corresponding  gleam  in  hers. 
"  Men  don't  stay  at  home  enough  to  appreciate  such 
qualities  as  I  possess.  They  dine  at  their  clubs,  they 
go  to  private  hospitals  when  ill,  and  there  is  nothing 
they  hate  more  than  to  see  their  wives  engrossed  in 
books !  " 

"  The  poor  beggars  are  being  taught  to  seek  their 
bodily  comforts  out  of  their  homes.  The  present  gen- 
eration of  young  people  are  not  sufficient  contrast,  one 
to  the  other.  A  man  doesn't  care  for  his  wife  to  have 
her  town  club,  her  golf,  her  croquet,  her  cricket  in  the 
same  style  as  he  has  himself.  As  an  old  lady  once  said 
to  me,  4  There's  an  inside  and  an  outside  to  every  home, 
let  the  woman  keep  inside,  and  go  out  only  for  her  rec- 


i8o  OLIVE   TRACY 

reation,  let  the  man  keep  outside  and  come  inside  for 
his ! '  " 

"  Then  if  I  were  a  wife  I  should  be  having  my  recre- 
ation all  day,"  said  Muriel  with  a  saucy  little  toss  of  her 
head,  "  for  I  never  could  be  shut  up  in  a  house  long  to- 
gether ! " 

"  How  do  you  and  Mrs.  Crofton  pull  together  ?  "  Lord 
Bannister  asked,  turning  to  Olive. 

"  I  think  she  is  a  very  capable  person,"  said  Olive 
slowly. 

"  Yes,"  assented  Muriel ;  "  but  I  cannot  get  on  with 
her.  I  called,  and  she  has  returned  the  call,  but  our  in- 
timacy has  ended  there .  I  suppose  we  ought  to  ask  her 
to  dine,  but  to  tell  the  truth,  I  am  a  little  afraid  of  her. 
She  is  so  stiff  and  conventional.  Very  nice  looking,  but 
hardly  the  woman  that  I  should  have  thought  would 
have  attracted  Marmaduke.  I  don't  think  she  will  be 
popular  here.  She  has  dignity,  but  not  graciousness ; 
and  always  seems  to  be  keeping  a  watch  upon  herself, 
like  some  half-bred  person  !  " 

"  Don't  begin  to  pick  each  other  to  pieces,  or  I  shall 
leave,"  said  Lord  Bannister  good  naturedly.  "  Did  you 
leave  a  word  with  Sir  Marmaduke  about  his  timber, 
Olive?" 

"  No,  I  really  felt  I  couldn't  interfere.  Why  don't 
you  talk  to  him  about  it,  Lord  Bannister  ?  You  are  one 
of  his  oldest  friends." 

"  Perhaps  I  may  some  day.  Duke  ought  to  be  home ; 
it  wants  one  of  the  family  to  have  an  eye  on  this  new 
agent.  I  don't  half  like  his  looks ;  a  black-bearded  fel- 
low with  shifty  eyes  and  a  mumbling  voice.  Can't  think 
where  he  came  from  !  " 


FAMILY  JEWELS  181 

"  Who  is  picking  a  person  to  pieces  now,  father  ? 
Show  Olive  some  of  our  curiosities,  from  the  Rocky 
Mountains ;  she  hasn't  seen  them  yet." 

They  adjourned  to  Lord  Bannister's  small  museum, 
and  for  the  rest  of  the  evening  Olive  tried  to  vanish 
Crofton  Court  from  her  memory.  Eddie  was  much  in 
her  thoughts  when  she  retired  to  rest.  She  had,  as  she 
told  Muriel,  heard  nothing  of  him  lately.  She  had 
written  to  Colonel  Holmes,  as  kindly  and  gently  as  she 
felt  towards  him  ;  and  had  received  from  him  one  line 
in  reply : 

"  I  bow  to  your  decision,  and  am  bearing  my  disap- 
pointment like  a  man — God  bless  you  and  bring  you 
happiness.  J.  H." 

But  not  one  word  of  her  brother.  She  continued  to 
pray  for  him,  with  fresh  hope  and  earnestness,  and 
Muriel's  words  brought  her  much  comfort. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

"  ON    ACTIVE    SERVICE  " 

He  husbands  best  his  life,  that  freely  gives 
It  for  the  publick  good. —  Quarks. 

VERY  anxious  were  the  days  that  followed.  All  Eng- 
land, from  the  poorest  peasant  to  the  proudest  peer,  knit 
together  by  the  bonds  of  sympathy  and  breathless  in- 
terest in  their  dear  ones'  fate  in  Africa,  watched  with 
tense,  strained  hearts  the  events  so  meagrely  telegraphed 
from  the  seat  of  war.  The  wave  of  patriotism  and  en- 
thusiasm for  the  military  calling  that  rolled  over  the 
country  from  shore  to  shore  astounded  and  dumb- 
founded the  Socialistic  agitators  and  reformers.  Bow- 
legged,  narrow-chested  Cockneys  crowded  to  enlist, 
shoulder  by  shoulder  with  the  younger  sons  of  our 
nobility.  The  reserves  cheerfully  left  their  wives  and 
families  and  comfortable  situations,  and  eagerly  demanded 
to  be  sent  to  the  front  at  once.  And  day  by  day  the  sad 
lists  came  over,  bringing  bereavement  to  rich  and  poor, 
old  and  young.  There  were  those  who  had  a  right  to 
mourn,  and  who  received  much  loving  sympathy  from 
their  friends.  There  were  also  those — and  these  chiefly 
young  fair  girls — who  watched  the  papers  with  blanched 
cheeks  and  throbbing  hearts,  yet  never  said  a  word  ;  and 
when  the  name  they  looked  for  appeared  amongst  the 
dead  would  realise  the  bitterness  of  a  blank  and  empty 
life,  and  would  be  taken  to  task  by  their  undiscerning 
relatives  for  their  dullness  and  lack  of  interest  in  the  war. 

182 


"ON   ACTIVE   SERVICE"  183 

When  Sir  George  White  with  his  whole  force,  Duke 
amongst  it,  was  finally  shut  in  at  Ladysmith,  Olive's 
anxiety  was  great.  She  could  not  understand  Cora's 
philosophical  way  of  taking  it,  and  even  Osmond  was 
restless  and  ill  at  ease. 

Miss  March  seemed  to  revel  in  all  the  horrors  of  the 
papers;  she  would  go  about  the  house  with  streaming 
eyes. 

"Ah,  the  dear,  noble  fellows!  Would  that  I  could 
go  out  and  nurse  them  !  If  I  were  a  man,  I  would  never 
rest  quiet  till  I  was  fighting  amongst  them." 

She  relieved  her  feelings  by  knitting  caps  and  belts  by 
the  dozen,  and  Olive,  who  undertook  to  send  them  up 
to  a  friend  of  hers  collecting,  was  much  amused  to  find 
that  inside  each  article,  written  in  marking  ink  on  a 
piece  of  tape,  were  the  words  :  "  From  a  humble  ad- 
mirer of  the  army." 

Olive  herself,  anxious  at  this  time  about  many  people 
and  matters,  astonished  Osmond  by  her  bright,  brave  de- 
meanour. One  afternoon  she  arrived  in  the  sitting-room 
glowing  and  breathless  from  a  walk.  Dancing  across 
the  room  with  all  her  old  spirit  and  grace,  she  burst 
forth  excitedly  : 

"  Fortune  has  favoured  me,  Diogenes !  I'm  to  be  a 
drone  no  longer,  but  a  busy  bee,  and  I  have  a  vocation 
at  last  !  " 

"  Three  cheers  !  As  long  as  your  vocation  is  in  this 
part  of  the  world  !  " 

Olive  perched  herself  on  the  window  ledge  and  pro- 
ceeded : 

"  I  have  got  so  accustomed  to  my  burden,  that  now  it 
is  dispensed  with,  I  feel  rather  intoxicated.  Forty 


184  OLIVE   TRACY 

pounds  added  to  my  little  income  will  keep  me  here  in 
clover.  My  dreams  of  a  typewriter  in  a  London  garret, 
with  gas  within  and  fog  without,  will  not  come  true,  and 
I  shall  settle  down  for  good  and  all  in  this  abode  of 
peace." 

"  How  on  earth  are  you  going  to  make  forty  pounds  ?  " 

"  Guess." 

"  You  have  been  to  the  Rectory,  haven't  you  ?  " 

"  You  are  getting  warm." 

"  Are  you  going  to  edit  a  parish  magazine  ? " 

"  I  will  put  you  out  of  suspense.  Our  small  friend 
was  found  yesterday  in  a  public-house  taproom — the 
1  Crown  and  Thistle ' — I'm  not  sure  whether  she  and 
Beautiful  weren't  executing  a  small  dance,  but  anyhow 
her  father  found  her  there  and  brought  her  home  with  an 
overflowing  heart.  He  had  two  hours'  talk  with  his 
wife  last  night,  and  she  tells  me  she  never  slept  a  wink 
in  consequence.  I  found  her  almost  in  tears  this  morn- 
ing over  the  Times  advertisement  sheet,  trying  to  con- 
coct an  advertisement  for  a  resident  governess.  1 1  can't 
bear  strangers  in  the  house,'  she  confided  to  me,  c  and 
yet  I  must  have  a  resident  governess.  The  child  has  run 
wild  too  long.  I  know  the  governess  will  prove  a  trial  in 
our  house.  She  will  say,  as  all  my  wise  friends  say, 
that  I  neglect  my  household  and  my  husband  neglects 
his  parish.  She  will  bring  an  element  of  discord  amongst 
us.  My  husband  thinks  she  might  help  me  with  my 
club  accounts  and  do  a  little  parish  work  as  well,  but  if 
she  is  to  have  sole  charge  of  Ida  she  will  have  her  work 
cut  out.  I  never  could  manage  the  child,  and  she  knows 
it,  and  her  independence  is  past  a  joke.'  c  What  are  you 
going  to  give  the  governess  ?  '  I  asked  out  of  idle 


"ON   ACTIVE   SERVICE" 185 

curiosity.  *  Forty  pounds  a  year — we  can  afford  that, 
and  I  want  a  lady  and  a  well-educated  person  to  teach 
her.'  Then  half  in  fun  I  said, 1 1  wish  you  would  let  me 
be  her  governess  and  help  you  in  the  parish.'  You 
should  have  seen  her  face  !  "  She  was  quite  ecstatic ; 
marched  me  off  to  her  husband's  study,  where  we  had  a 
long  consultation,  and  the  thing  is  settled.  I  am  not  to 
sleep  in  the  house,  but  I  am  to  be  there  every  day  from 
nine  o'clock  till  half-past  seven,  when  she  goes  to  bed, 
and  I  am  to  have  sole  charge  of  her.  Do  you  think  the 
dear  mite  will  begin  to  hate  me  ?  " 

Osmond  looked  at  her  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye. 

"  You  will  have  your  hands  full.  Little  Miss  Oddity 
running  about  the  parish,  and  popping  in  and  out  upon 
us  of  her  own  sweet  will,  is  a  very  different  creature  to 
Miss  Oddity  sitting  up  at  a  schoolroom  table,  with  books 
and  slates  before  her,  and  a  governess  who  is  determined 
to  be  the  victor  in  every  encounter." 

"  I  shall  never  have  any  encounters  !  " 

Osmond  gave  a  low  whistle. 

"  Now  don't  discourage  me.  I  know  I  am  not  cut 
out  for  a  governess  by  role,  but  Ida  is  a  dear  child,  and  I 
know  I  have  sufficient  knowledge  to  teach  her  for  some 
years  to  come.  If  I  can't  manage  her  I  shall  bring  her 
over  to  you.  Mrs.  Hunt  is  delighted  to  have  me.  I 
can't  tell  you  how  worried  I  have  been  lately  thinking 
over  my  future,  and  this  seemed  a  perfect  godsend  to 
me!" 

"  It  is  that,"  said  Osmond  gravely ;  and  Olive's  face 
reflected  a  little  of  his  feeling,  as  she  said  with  a  catch  in 
her  breath  — 

"Yes,   I    have    been    faithless    and    fearful.     I    have 


1 86  OLIVE   TRACY 

prayed  so  much,  and  yet  now  the  answer  has  come  I  am 
astonished." 

"  Has  your  new  pupil  been  told  of  the  proposed 
plan  ?  " 

"  Not  yet.  I  am  to  start  work  next  Monday.  Do 
you  know,  Diogenes,  Mrs.  Hunt  is  a  wonder  to  me. 
She  is  a  charming  woman,  real  and  true  to  the  back- 
bone, and  plenty  of  character,  yet  I  believe  she  stands  in 
terror  of  her  baby  daughter.  A  helpless  look  comes  into 
her  eyes  when  she  talks  to  her,  and  Ida  puffs  herself  out 
like  a  tiny  bantam  cock,  and  eyes  her  mother  with 
wondering  amusement.  I  am  afraid  there  is  truth  in  her 
saucy  words  to  me  a  little  time  ago,  '  mother  has  the 
parish  to  manage,  she  can't  manage  me  too,  she  doesn't 
have  time  ! ' ' 

"  Mrs.  Hunt  does  certainly  seem  chock  full  of  other 
people's  business." 

"  She  was  telling  me  to-day  how  the  whole  village  is 
waking  up  over  the  war.  From  having  a  supreme  con- 
tempt for  any  soldier,  they  are  now  lamenting  that  they 
have  not  a  single  representative  at  the  front.  Two  lads 

have  walked  off  to  B to  enlist,  and  Mrs.  Giles  is 

being  persecuted  by  visits  and  numerous  inquiries  after 
her  son.  They  cannot  understand  why  he  is  not  fight- 
ing, and  make  slighting  remarks  about  his  youth  and 
stamina,  and  when  she  told  them  his  regiment  had  not 
got  orders  to  leave,  they  insinuated  that  it  was  a  poor  lot 
of  officers  and  men  to  be  left  behind,  when  even  the 
volunteers  and  militia  were  being  taken !  I  am  wonder- 
ing myself  how  soon  Eddie  will  be  off  to  the  front. 
I  dread  to  hear  of  it,  and  yet  in  some  ways  I  shall  be 
glad." 


"ON   ACTIVE   SERVICE" 187 

"It  will  be  the  best  thing  for  him,  and  for  many 
another  idle  young  fellow,"  said  Osmond  warmly.  "  I 
believe  years  of  peace  have  a  deteriorating  effect  on 
some  of  our  regiments.  Discipline  gets  slack ;  men  get 
out  of  touch  with  their  officers,  and  grumbling — some- 
times mutiny — is  the  order  of  the  day  !  Active  service 
binds  all  in  the  regiment  together,  as  we  see  in  the  papers 
daily.  It  makes  careless  fellows  into  heroes ;  officers  and 
men  save  each  others'  lives  at  the  cost  of  their  own.  It 
brings  out  all  the  pluck,  grit  and  chivalry  that  we  Brit- 
ishers pride  ourselves  upon." 

"  Very  true,  Diogenes,  but  I  have  no  time  for  a  dis- 
cussion upon  the  war.  My  mind  is  selfishly  engaged 
with  my  own  affairs.  I  am  delighted  to  have  found 
some  occupation." 

Olive  left  the  room  as  she  spoke,  and  Osmond  heard 
her  singing  in  the  garden,  in  the  very  abandonment  of 
her  heart. 

Creases  smoothed  out  of  her  brow ;  and  her  gay 
spirits  showed  only  too  plainly  what  anxiety  had  been 
removed  from  her  mind. 

The  very  next  morning  the  long-looked-for  letter 
came  from  Eddie.  It  was  a  short  one,  but  in  it  he  told 
her  that  he  was  going  out  to  the  front  on  special  service, 
and  he  was  coming  down  that  afternoon  to  wish  her 
good-bye. 

"  It  seems  strange,"  she  said  to  Osmond  at  the 
breakfast  table,  "  that  I  should  be  glad  and  thankful 
for  him  to  go ;  but  it  will  be  a  complete  break  from  all  his 
present  temptations,  and  it  looks  as  if  that  were  his  desire." 

"It  will  be  the  making  of  him,  as  I  said  yesterday," 
was  the  quick  rejoinder. 


i88  OLIVE   TRACY 

So  at  half-past  two  that  afternoon,  Olive  borrowed  the 
farmer's  trap,  and  drove  herself  to  meet  her  brother  at 
the  station. 

The  farmer,  with  wife  and  sister,  saw  her  off  at  the  gate. 

"  Hold  the  mare  well  in,  Miss,  we  can't  have  you  run 
away  wi' !  "  said  Andrew  good  naturedly,  adding  with  a 
chuckle,  "  leastways  not  wi'  four-legged  critturs ;  there 
may  be  a  chance  for  another  sort,  but  a  right  good  sort 
it  must  be,  or  us  shan't  let  'ee  go  !  " 

"  How  vulgar  Andrew  is  at  times,"  said  Miss  March 
with  a  little  snort,  as  Olive  looked  back  and  laughingly 
nodded  to  the  farmer.  "  To  speak  to  Miss  Tracy  as  if 
she  be  one  that  favours  the  men  !  They  be  below  her 
understanding  and  liking  altogether,  at  least  judging  her 
by  my  own  experience,  and  that's  not  a  small  one,  after 
being  in  London  so  many  years,  where  men  is  as  thick 
as  black  beetles  and  as  common  !  " 

"  Ah  well,"  said  Mrs.  March  with  a  cheerful  smile, 
"  'tis  a  poor  house  that  hasn't  a  master  in  it,  and  I  shall 
look  to  Miss  havin'  a  grand  weddin'  one  day — when 
the  right  man  comes  !  And  I  wonder  to  hear  you  cry 
down  men  so,  Bess,  for  lately  you've  been  all  for  the 
soldiers ! " 

"  I  was  speakin'  of  the  generality  o'  men,"  said  Bess, 
looking  a  little  confused.  "  Soldiers  is  one  thing,  ordi- 
nary men  is  another.  If  Miss  Tracy  is  ever  wed,  and  to 
a  noble  military  officer,  I  shall  have  no  word  to  say 
against  it !  " 

It  was  a  very  undemonstrative  meeting  between  brother 
and  sister;  but  when  in  the  trap,  and  driving  through  the 
quiet  lanes,  Eddie,  with  his  characteristic  frankness, 
plunged  into  it  at  once : 


"ON   ACTIVE   SERVICE"  189 

"  Here  give  us  the  reins,  Oily.  I  hate  to  let  a  woman 
drive  me.  Were  you  surprised  at  my  news  ?  " 

"  Very  thankful." 

"  I  knew  you  would  be.  Old  Holmes  has  managed 
it  for  me ;  at  my  request,  mind  you,  though  I  believe  the 
old  chap  will  be  mightily  relieved  to  see  my  back  !  I 
won't  say  anything  about  fresh  starts  and  chances,  you 
must  be  rather  sick  of  the  rot  I've  talked,  but  time  will 
show  whether  this  will  be  a  good  or  bad  move  on  my 
part." 

"  Why  didn't  you  write  and  tell  me  sooner  ?  " 

"  I  was  waiting  till  it  was  all  settled.  I  haven't  been 
great  in  correspondence  lately,  have  I  ?  Do  you  re- 
member when  it  was  you  wrote  ?  " 

"  A  long  time  ago,  but  I  haven't  forgotten  you." 

"  No — your  letter  did  the  business,  old  girl.  It  riled 
me  immensely  at  first ;  it  gave  me  some  sleepless  nights 
later." 

There  was  silence,  then  tightening  the  reins  a  little, 
Eddie  said  shortly,  looking  straight  in  front  of  him : 

"  I  think  you'll  like  to  know,  that  I  believe  I  have 
got  hold  of  the  rope  at  last !  " 

Olive  could  not  speak.  She  had  longed ;  she  had 
hoped  for  this  assurance,  but  now  it  was  given  her,  it 
seemed  overwhelming.  She  fought  hard  against  tears ; 
at  last  she  said  tremulously  : 

"  Then  you,  as  well  as  I,  have  a  sure  foundation 
under  your  feet." 

"  It  is  a  new  life  altogether,"  said  Eddie,  with  an 
earnest  gravity  in  his  tone  that  had  never  been  there 
before. 

Then  he  turned  to  talk  of  his  future  prospects,  and 


OLIVE   TRACY 


as  they  drove  on  in  the  golden  autumn  sunshine,  Olive's 
heart  throbbed  with  joy  and  gratitude. 

"  Are  all  my  cares  slipping  from  me  ?  "  she  thought  j 
"just  as  I  had  begun  to  think  they  were  increasing 
rather  than  lessening."  And  half-unconsciously,  she 
quoted  to  herself: 

"  I  said,  '  The  darkness  shall  content  my  soul  !  ' 

God  said,  '  Let  there  be  light  !  ' 
I  said,  «  The  night  shall  see  me  reach  my  goal.' 
Instead  —  Came  dawning  bright  !  " 

Osmond  was  delighted  to  see  the  young  soldier.  He 
never  complained,  but  a  longing  for  men's  companion- 
ship and  society  often  held  him  in  its  grip.  Life  in  all 
its  activity,  and  youth  in  its  strength  and  courage,  had  a 
strange  fascination  for  him.  He  listened  to  Eddie's 
future  prospects  with  a  glowing  heart. 

"  I  envy  you  !  "  he  said  heartily.  "  When  do  you 
sail  ?  " 

"  On  Saturday.  Old  Holmes  is  pretty  sick  the  regi- 
ment has  not  been  ordered  out  yet!  We've  all  been 
warned,  but  the  War  Office  know  how  to  take  their 
time.  Anyhow  I'm  off.  I  shall  be  in  London  to- 
morrow, and  shall  have  a  glimpse  of  Vinny  and  Mother 
Mumps  —  who  is  Mother  Mumps  no  longer,  by-the-bye. 
Has  she  been  down  here  yet  ?  " 

"  No,  but  they  both  talk  of  coming  for  a  day,  next 
week.  Do  beg  them  to  do  it,  if  you  see  them.  I  am 
longing  to  see  Elsie  again." 

"  She  is  a  young  lady  of  fashion.  Isn't  it  queer  after 
all  these  years  that  old  Randolph  should  tolerate  one 
of  his  wife's  belongings  for  so  long  ?  I  was  up  in  town 
a  fortnight  ago,  and  I  assure  you  Mother  Mumps  is  all 


"ON   ACTIVE   SERVICE" 191 

the  rage !  Oh,  who  do  you  think  I  saw  yesterday, 
Oily  ?  I  was  over  at  Blackenbury,  paying  my  farewell 
visit  at  the  Manor,  and  on  the  way  back,  his  Grace's 
wife  came  on  the  scene." 

"  Haven't  you  seen  her  before  ?  "  asked  Olive  a  little 
indifferently. 

"  No ;  what  a  pair  of  eyes  she  has  !  Lord  Bannister 
was  walking  back  to  the  station  with  me,  and  we  struck 
across  the  Crofton's  wood.  It  was  rather  an  awkward 
rencontre.  She  was  in  very  close  conversation  with  a 
black-bearded  fellow — the  new  agent  I  was  told — and 
it  looked  uncommonly  like  a  bit  of  bullying  on  his  part. 
She  didn't  see  us  coming,  but  was  shrinking  away  from 
him  almost  in  fright ;  and  I  heard  her  say  c  I  can't  do  it ! 
You  must  get  it  back !  It  will  kill  me  to  go  on  like 
this  ! '  Then  she  saw  us.  The  man  turned  away  at 
once,  and  slunk  off",  but  she  faced  us  with  an  air  of  a 
tragedy  queen.  '  Are  you  aware  this  is  a  private  path  ? ' 
she  said.  Old  Bannister  doffed  his  hat  to  her.  c  I  have 
the  privilege  of  using  it,  being  an  old  friend,'  he  re- 
marked. Then  she  knew  him  and  dried  up,  but  Ban- 
nister engaged  her  in  conversation  and  introduced  me. 
She  has  a  good  figure,  but  where  on  earth  did  his  Grace 
pick  her  up?  And  what  is  the  little  game  this  new 
agent  is  trying  to  play  with  her  ?  It  looks  very  fishy  !  " 

"  I  wonder,"  said  Osmond  slowly,  "  if  he  is  some 
needy  relation  of  hers.  She  engaged  him,  and  he  may 
be  sponging  on  her." 

The  same  thought  had  struck  Olive,  but  she  did  not 
say  so. 

"  I  hope  his  Grace  hasn't  made  a  hash  of  it,"  said 
Eddie  lightly. 


192  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  Oh  no,  no  !  And  don't  talk  about  her,  will  you  ? 
She  is  unknown,  and  unprotected  here.  For  Duke's 
sake,  don't  let  suspicion  rest  on  any  of  her  actions  !  " 

Olive  spoke  with  heat,  and  her  brother,  with  a  slight 
shrug  of  his  shoulders,  changed  the  subject.  She  was 
called  away  by  Miss  March  in  a  few  minutes,  who  was 
preparing  an  elaborate  tea  in  honour  of  the  visitor. 

Then  standing  up  by  the  window  Eddie  spoke 
abruptly : 

"  Oily  ought  to  have  been  his  wife.  I  always  thought 
they  would  hit  it  off." 

"  She  did  not  think  they  would,"  Osmond  said. 

Eddie  was  silent,  then  he  said  : 

"She's  a  good  sort — Oily  is — worth  six  of  Mother 
Mumps !  And  I  can  tell  you  that  woman  is  up  to  mis- 
chief at  the  Court !  I  should  say  she  was  an  adven- 
turess. Old  Bannister  shakes  his  head  over  her.  It 
passes  my  comprehension  how  his  Grace  could  have 
got  entangled  with  her  !  " 

"  I  have  wondered  if  there  were  any  peculiar  circum- 
stances, anything  that  appealed  to  his  chivalry  more  than 
to  his  heart.  He  was  head  over  ears  in  love  with  Oily, 
and  is  not  the  man  to  change  so  soon  ! " 

"  Oh  well — the  colonies  have  a  deal  to  answer  for. 
There  was  a  chap  in  the  4th  Dragoons  I  came  across, 
a  thorough  nice-hearted  fellow ;  he  came  back  from 
India  or  somewhere — I  forget  the  exact  spot,  with  an 
awful  old  hag,  old  enough  to  be  his  grandmother !  He 
told  me,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  that  he  hadn't  an  idea 
how  it  was  done !  He  was  very  cut  up  because  a  cousin 
of  his  had  jilted  him,  and  was  lonely  and  out  of  sorts 
and  she  mothered  him  a  bit,  and  got  round  him  till  he 


"ON   ACTIVE   SERVICE"  193 

found  himself  a  married  man  !  If  I  come  across  his 
Grace  I  shall  get  the  rights  of  the  story,  I  expect !  " 

As  Eddie  was  leaving  the  house  a  short  time  after, 
Miss  March  pressed  forward  in  the  passage  with  flushed 
cheeks  and  excited  eyes. 

41  Pardon  me,  sir,"  she  said ;  "  but  I  have  been  told 
you  are  going  to  the  war.  Our  brave  soldiers  live  in  my 
thoughts  day  and  night.  I  know  you  will  pardon  my 
presumin'  to  ask  such  a  favour,  but  we  live  out  of  the 
times  here,  and  I  never  thought  to  see  one  in  the  flesh 
who  was  going  straight  out  to  engage  in  such  fierce 
battles  !  May  I  ask  the  honour  of  shakin'  the  hand  that 
will  be  wieldin'  the  sword  ?  " 

Eddie  laughed  out  in  his  frank  boyish  fashion.  Miss 
March's  little  bows  as  she  made  her  speech  were  comical 
in  the  extreme. 

44  Here  is  my  fist,"  he  said  good  humouredly  ;  44  and 
wish  me  well." 

He  gave  her  a  grip  which  made  her  wince.  Tears 
came  into  her  eyes. 

44  A  safe  journey,  sir,  a  victorious  encounter  with  your 
foe,  and  a  glorious  return  to  the  home  of  your  fore- 
fathers !  " 

After  which  carefully  prepared  speech  Miss  March  re- 
tired to  the  kitchen  in  a  state  of  bliss  and  exaltation  at 
having  bidden  farewell  to  "  an  officer,  and  a  gentleman, 
who  was  going  to  court  danger  and  death,"  this  being 
her  description  of  him  to  her  sister-in-law  afterwards. 

"You  live  amongst  queer  characters,  Oily,"  said 
Eddie  as  brother  and  sister  drove  to  the  station  together. 
44  By-the-bye  my  servant  Giles  lives  in  this  part.  He's 
coming  out  with  me.  He  went  home  on  leave  yester- 


i94  OLIVE   TRACY 

day  for  three  days.  You  wouldn't  believe  it,  but  I  had 
eleven  different  men  besieging  my  rooms  the  day  they 
knew  I  was  going  out.  They  all  declared  they  were 
excellent  grooms  and  were  wild  to  come.  I  wouldn't 
part  with  Giles  for  a  good  lot.  He  is  a  perfect 
treasure ! " 

"  I  know  his  mother  well,"  said  Olive.  "  It  will  be 
sad  for  her  losing  him,  for  he  is  her  only  son.  Still  I 
believe  she  will  let  him  go  willingly — I  shall  go  to  see 
her  when  he  leaves." 

They  drove  on  in  the  dusky  twilight.  They  did  not 
talk  much,  but  her  last  words  to  him  were  :  "  I  have  no 
fears  for  you  now,  Eddie  ;  "  and  he  replied  quickly  :  "  I 
am  on  active  service,  remember,  I  suppose  I  shall  never 
be  off  it ;  but  I've  changed  my  commander  since  I  saw 
you  last." 

She  came  back  to  the  farm  quiet  and  thoughtful. 

"  Oily,"  said  Osmond  after  a  time  ;  "  Eddie  is  differ- 
ent ;  his  very  face  shows  it." 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  turning  to  him  with  radiant  eyes. 
"  He  has  told  me  he  is."  Then  with  a  little  burst  of 
enthusiasm  she  exclaimed  : — "  Oh  Diogenes,  why  isn't 
there  more  real  Christianity  in  the  world  !  Why  do 
people  play  at  it  so,  when  it  is  such  a  glorious  possibility 
for  all !  And  why  do  we  feel  so  backward  in  reco/n- 
mending  our  Master,  so  ashamed  of  speaking  to  each 
other  about  Him  !  " 

Osmond  smiled  quietly. 

"You  have  been  able  at  any  rate  to  follow  one  ex- 
ample set  you.  l  He  first  findeth  his  own  brother  .  .  . 
and  he  brought  him  to  Jesus  ! ' : 


CHAPTER  XVII 

IN    THE    ORCHARD 

"  Nature  alone  is  antique,  and  the  oldest  art  a  mushroom." 

— Carlyle. 
"Nature  is  God's,  art  is  man's  instrument." 

— Sir  T.  Overbury. 

"  I  HAVE  heard  from  Vinny,  Diogenes.  She  is  com- 
ing down  next  Tuesday  to  stay  with  us  for  a  week, 
won't  it  be  nice  ?  But  I  am  afraid  I  shall  be  at  the 
Rectory  most  of  the  day.  Still  I  shall  see  her  in  the 
evening." 

"  Is  Mother  Mumps  coming  with  her  ?  " 

"  Just  for  the  day  on  her  way  into  Hertfordshire.  She 
is  going  to  stay  with  some  friends  there." 

"  It  will  be  rather  awkward  your  being  away." 

"  I  think  I  shall  bring  Ida  here  for  the  afternoon. 
You  see  we  shall  only  do  lessons  for  an  hour  or  so  in 
the  morning.  As  long  as  I  have  her  with  me,  it  will  be 
all  right.  I  am  sure  Mrs.  Hunt  will  say  so." 

Olive  and  Osmond  were  at  breakfast  the  next  morn- 
ing, and  Olive  had  hardly  finished  speaking  before  there 
was  a  little  clatter  and  bustle  in  the  passage. 

"  Where's  Uncle  Humbug  ?  " 

It  was  Ida,  of  course,  rushing  breathlessly  into  the 
house  with  this  inquiry,  dragging  Beautiful  after  her  in 
only  a  scanty  night  attire. 

"  Here  we  are — at  breakfast,"  called  out  Olive ; 
"  come  along  in." 

195 


196 OLIVE   TRACY 

"  Mother's  been  saying  such  things,"  panted  the 
child,  looking  with  bewildered  eyes  first  at  Olive  then  at 
Osmond.  "  She  says  Miss  Tracy  is  coming  to  be  my 
governess.  Why  they're  horrid  people,  and  how  can 
she  leave  you,  Uncle  Humbug  ?  " 

Olive  drew  the  child  gently  to  her. 

"  Darling  let  us  forget  all  about  the  governess  !  I  am 
coming  to  take  you  for  walks,  and  tell  you  stories,  and 
we  will  come  over  and  have  tea  with  Uncle  Humbug. 
We  won't  do  lessons  all  day,  and  I  shall  make  some 
new  frocks  for  Beautiful." 

Ida  looked  down  fondly  at  her  treasure. 

"  I  brought  her  along  in  her  nighty  ;  I  hadn't  time  to 
put  her  frock  on,  because  I  was  so  frightened — mother 
said  I  mustn't  run  wild  no  longer.  I  don't  run  wild,  I 
run  fearfully  straight  always,  and  I've  hardly  stopped  for 
breath.  Will  you  make  Beautiful  a  new  sunbonnet  ? 
And  what  will  Uncle  Humbug  do  ?  " 

"  He  will  always  be  ready  to  hear  what  Miss  Oddity 
has  been  doing,  when  Miss  Tracy  comes  back  to  him  in 
the  evening,"  said  Osmond,  buttering  a  piece  of  toast 
and  holding  it  out  to  her. 

Ida  took  it  and  began  munching  it  thoughtfully,  then 
she  rested  her  head  confidingly  against  Olive's  shoulder. 

"You'll  be  just  the  same  as  you  always  are,"  she 
said  ;  "  you  won't  turn  into  a  governess  and  slap  me  ?  " 

"  I  promise  you  I  won't  do  that." 

"  And  you'll  let  me  run  out  into  the  garden  whenever 
I  want  to  ?  " 

"  Look  here,  Diogenes,  you  have  a  talk  with  her ;  I 
want  to  send  a  letter  into  the  village  by  Andrew,  and  he 
is  just  off." 


IN   THE   ORCHARD  197 

Olive  left  the  room,  and  Ida  drew  near  to  Osmond 
with  a  relieved  face. 

"Tell  me  true,  Uncle  Humbug.  She  isn't  going  to 
turn  strict !  " 

"I  don't  think  she  will.  She  is  very  fond  of  you, 
little  woman,  and  you  love  her  too,  don't  you  ? " 

"  Yes,  and  so  does  Beautiful ;  and  she  wants  new 
frocks  dreadful !  " 

"  Well,  you  know  you  are  getting  a  big  girl,  and  all 
the  boys  and  girls  in  the  village  have  been  doing  lessons 
for  a  long  time.  You  must  be  wanting  to  do  some,  I 
am  sure,  so  that  you  may  grow  up  a  clever  girl,  and  not 
be  looked  upon  as  a  stupid  little  ignoramus !  Of  course 
every  little  girl  has  a  governess  when  they  are  big 
enough,  and  I  think  you  would  rather  have  Miss  Tracy 
to  teach  you  than  a  tall  old  lady  in  cap  and  spectacles, 
with  a  long  face  and  pointed  chin,  and  a  pocket  full  of 
lesson  books ! " 

Ida  was  laughing  now.  "Yes  I  would,  and  so  would 
Beautiful,  and  Miss  Tracy  will  have  to  teach  her  as  well 
as  me,  she  can  learn  a  lot  of  lessons  if  she  can't  say 
them.  Beautiful  can't  speak,  that's  the  only  thing  she 
can't  do  besides  not  walking,  but  she  does  whisper  in  my 
ear  very  soft  in  the  night  sometimes,  just  to  tell  me  she 
loves  me  !  " 

Here  Beautiful  was  hugged  and  kissed  ;  and  when 
Olive  came  back  to  the  room,  a  little  later,  she  was 
hugged  and  kissed  too. 

"  I  will  be  good,  I  will  learn  my  lessons  with  you,  and 
I  like  you  ever  so  much  better  than  the  governess  with 
the  pointed  chin  and  lesson  books  in  her  pocket,  and 
spectacles  and  cap  !  " 


198  OLIVE   TRACY 

The  little  maiden  had  recovered  her  spirits,  and 
startled  her  parents  by  observing  at  the  lunch  table  — 

"  Beautiful  and  me  has  been  wanting  to  be  good  and 
learn  lessons  ever  since  we  was  born,  and  nobody  has 
showed  us  how  to  !  " 

Mrs.  Hunt  looked  across  at  her  husband. 

"  I  hope  you  feel  snubbed,  William  dear,"  then  she 
said  cheerfully  to  her  little  daughter  — 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  of  such  a  want,  Ida.  The  way  will 
be  easy  for  you  after  next  Monday." 

"  Miss  Tracy  is  going  to  make  Beautiful  new  frocks," 
the  small  maiden  continued ;  "  and  we  shall  play  games 
when  we  are  too  tired  to  do  lessons !  " 

Mrs.  Hunt  wisely  ignored  this  small  note  of  defiance. 
She  was  relieved  the  matter  had  been  amicably  settled, 
and  only  bargained  with  Olive  that  she  was  never  to 
refer  to  her  in  any  difficulty. 

u  Your  judgment  and  tact  are  superior  to  mine ;  and 
you  must  consider  you  have  full  authority  over  her.  I 
have  the  utmost  confidence  in  your  capacity  to  manage 
her.  I'm  afraid  I  am  not  a  person  who  can  use  middle 
measures  with  children.  I  either  err  on  the  side  of 
severity  or  indulgence  !  " 

So  Olive  started  work  with  her  small  pupil  on  Mon- 
day, and  found  it  gave  her  plenty  of  scope  for  thought, 
patience  and  ingenuity. 

On  Tuesday,  true  to  her  word,  Vinny  arrived  with 
Elsie,  and  the  former  was  welcomed  heartily  by  the 
farmer  and  his  wife. 

It  was  a  bright  sunny  day ;  wonderfully  warm  for  the 
beginning  of  November.  Olive  came  back  in  time  for 
lunch,  bringing  her  small  pupil  with  her,  and  afterwards 


IN   THE   ORCHARD  199 

they  all  adjourned  to  the  orchard,  where,  with  warm 
wraps  round  her,  Vinny  sat  back  in  a  low  chair  looking 
the  picture  of  content. 

This  old  orchard  had  not  often  been  without  occu- 
pants during  the  summer,  and  Olive  and  Osmond,  like 
Vinny,  felt  a  spell  of  restfulness  and  content  fall  upon 
them  whenever  they  entered  it.  They  had  seen  it  in  the 
early  summer  when  the  scent  of  the  new  mown  hay  was 
wafted  across  it,  and  it  was  full  of  golden  sunshine  and 
flowers ;  autumn  with  its  mellow  touches  upon  fruit  and 
corn,  had  brightened  its  old  fruit  trees  with  rosy  apples 
and  golden  pears  ;  and  now  even  in  November  the  sun 
seemed  loth  to  leave  it,  and  the  dying  leaves  still  clung 
with  tenacious  grip  to  their  parent  stems. 

"  Isn't  it  an  ideal  place  ?  "  Vinny  said  presently.  "  I 
could  live  my  life  here  with  such  happiness  !  I  always 
look  back  with  pleasure  to  my  days  last  summer.  It 
was  a  perfect  haven  !  " 

Elsie  glanced  round  with  a  laughing  shrug  of  her 
shoulders. 

"  A  week  would  suffice  for  me,"  she  said. 

"  How  have  you  existed,  Olive,  all  this  sum- 
mer ?  " 

"  Oh  it  suits  me  very  well,"  answered  Olive,  looking 
at  her  younger  sister  critically. 

Elsie  was  now  dressed  in  the  latest  fashion,  and  had 
already  begun  to  lighten  her  mourning  with  touches  of 
white  and  heliotrope.  She  looked  radiantly  happy  ;  her 
slow  and  rather  dreamy  manner  had  given  way  to  a  fresh 
sparkling  audacity.  She  was  conscious  of  her  power  to 
please  and  attract,  and  so  was  not  troubled  with  any 
diffidence  or  awkwardness. 


200 OLIVE   TRACY    

"  I  think  I  have  proved  my  theory  true,"  Elsie  went 
on,  as  she  in  her  turn  criticised  Olive : 

"  Circumstances  make  or  mar.  Olive  and  I  have 
changed  places.  Travel  and  society  have  developed  my 
capabilities.  Stagnation  and  a  narrow  sphere  have 
dwarfed  hers.  She  has  grown  grave,  quiet — perhaps 
sweet — just  like  her  surroundings.  I  have  quickened, 
become  alive  as  she  used  to  say  *  to  my  finger  tips  !  ' 

"  But  I  don't  think  I  am  staid  and  grave,"  said  Olive, 
with  a  comical  face  of  disgust. 

Vinny  laid  her  hand  on  hers. 

"You  are  just  right,  dear,  and  still  decidedly  the  best 
looking  of  the  two.  I  make  a  point  of  continually  tell- 
ing Elsie  so ;  for  her  head  is  being  turned." 

"  No,"  said  Elsie  calmly ;  "  as  we  are  not  together  I 
am  not  jealous.  I  am  passable,  I  know ;  and  looks  are 
not  everything.  As  a  man  said  to  me  the  other  day, 
who  sat  out  a  long  dinner  opposite  a  professional  beauty : 
c  You  can  get  as  much  pleasure  from  a  beauty  painted 
on  canvas  as  you  do  from  a  pretty  woman  when  she 
doesn't  know  how  to  talk.'  I  suppose  you  are  quite 
reconciled  to  this  life,  Olive  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  am  now.  Frankly,  I  love  the  country  and 
the  country  people,  but  not  in  such  a  passion  of  delight 
and  content  as  Vinny.  I  want  plenty  of  occupation.  If 
I  have  that,  time  passes." 

"  I  want  no  occupation,"  said  Vinny  serenely  ;  "  ex- 
cept perhaps  a  book,  when  Nature  ceases  to  smile.  Do 
you  know  how  I  used  to  pass  my  days  here  ?  I  had 
breakfast  at  half-past  eight,  then  did  what  necessary 
writing  or  business  I  had  in  hand ;  and  then  I  used  to 
go  round  and  round  the  old  kitchen  garden,  picking  and 


IN   THE   ORCHARD  201 

eating  what  fruit  I  liked,  watching  the  bees  and  birds 
and  butterflies ;  pulling  up  a  cabbage  or  lettuce  for  din- 
ner ;  bringing  it  into  the  house ;  having  a  little  gossip  in 
the  kitchen  or  farmyard ;  and  then  out  again,  this  time 
into  the  flower  garden,  there  to  pick  flowers  and  arrange 
them  in  my  sitting-room  and  bedroom.  Early  dinner  at 
one  o'clock.  Afterwards  I  would  bring  work  or  books 
into  this  dear  old  orchard,  and  here  I  would  lie  full 
length  on  the  grass,  taking  stores  of  sweet  fresh,  whole- 
some air  into  my  body,  and  delicious  lessons  from  Nature 
into  my  soul.  I  hardly  ever  touched  work  or  book.  Tea 
would  come  too  soon,  but  after  it  was  over  I  would 
shake  myself  together  and  go  for  a  good  brisk  walk  for 
the  good  of  my  liver  and  digestion.  Back  again  about 
nine  o'clock,  when  I  would  have  supper,  go  into  the 
kitchen  and  have  a  gossip  with  Andrew,  and  then  to  bed. 
Now  that  is  my  ideal  life  !  No  dressmakers,  or  servants, 
or  housekeeping  to  distract  your  mind ;  no  entertaining 
or  being  entertained  ;  no  rush  of  engagements,  or  crowds 
or  bustle.  Everything  to  soothe  and  rest.  And  I  would 
like  that  kind  of  life  for  ever  and  ever  !  " 

"Now,  Diogenes,"  said  Elsie  with  twinkling  eyes, 
"  you  always  used  to  dose  us  with  your  wisdom ;  give 
Vinny  a  dose  now — she  needs  it.  Waste  of  life — talents 
rustling — selfish  indolence — useless  existence.  Begin — 
I  remember  your  style." 

Osmond  looked  up,  then  spoke  : 

"  There  were  two  generals  once  on  the  eve  of  an  im- 
portant campaign.  One  started  at  daybreak  to  inspect 
his  brigade.  He  was  in  his  saddle  all  day  ;  had  galloped 
from  point  to  point  to  take  the  enemy's  bearings ;  he  had 
consulted  and  interviewed  every  reliable  informant  in  the 


202  OLIVE   TRACY 

vicinity  of  the  camp ;  and  came  at  last  at  sunset  to  the 
other  general. 

"  He  found  him  in  exactly  the  same  position  as  he 
had  left  him  in  at  daybreak  that  morning — in  his  tent, 
sitting  at  a  small  table,  with  his  head  in  his  hands.  He 
expressed  astonishment  at  his  inertness,  when  he  learned 
that  it  was  in  such  a  manner  that  he  had  spent  his  day. 

" l  My  good  fellow,'  was  the  quick  retort,  l  you  have 
been  working  your  body,  but  I  my  brain ! '  And  the 
story  goes  that  the  brain-working  general  achieved  most 
success." 

Vinny  smiled. 

"I  shall  say  nothing  after  that,  or  I  may  harm  my 
cause." 

"Well,"  said  Elsie  quickly,  "do  you  think  I  am  a 
failure  or  success,  Diogenes  ?  " 

"Tell  me  first  which  opinion  you  value  most — your 
own  or  mine  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  my  own,  for  I  am  the  best  authority.  I 
know  myself  better  than  you  do." 

"  Then  why  ask  me  such  a  question  ?  " 

"  Oh  because  I  like  my  own  opinion  to  be  strength- 
ened by  another." 

"  I  think  your  outer  man  is  a  success." 

"  Come,  that  is  something  !  In  fact  that  is  all  I  want 
to  know.  No  one  has  any  business  to  criticise  my  inner 
being.  And  the  inner  forms  the  outer — so  people  say — 
so  I  am  a  success  through  and  through." 

Then  she  laughed  merrily. 

"  We  won't  talk  about  ourselves  any  more.  I  am 
bound  to  assert  my  superiority  to  my  old  self  of  last 
spring,  in  order  to  convince  Diogenes  that  my  present 


IN   THE   ORCHARD  203 

life  is  a  satisfying  one.  He  told  me  to  let  him  know 
when  it  failed  to  be  that.  I  am  afraid  that  time  will 
never  come.  Do  you  remember  our  talk  about  founda- 
tions ?  My  house  is  being  rapidly  built." 

"  It  is  a  fair  weather  house,"  said  Osmond,  looking  at 
her  somewhat  sadly. 

"  Don't  croak  !  I  hope  to  have  fair  weather  for  many 
a  year  to  come." 

"  What  are  you  talking  about  ?  "  asked  Vinny  with 
lazy  interest. 

But  no  one  spoke,  and  then  Elsie  changed  the  subject. 
They  were  a  happy  party  that  afternoon,  in  spite  of  the 
graver  topic  of  the  war  which  kept  creeping  into  their 
conversation.  Ida  flitted  from  one  to  the  other,  but  was 
not  in  their  way.  She  was  a  child  of  endless  re- 
sources, and  quite  accustomed  to  play  alone.  After 
tea,  Elsie  took  her  departure.  She  was  driven  to  the 
station  by  the  farmer,  who  came  back  to  his  wife  an- 
nouncing : 

"  That  young  lady  be  a  uncommon  spirited  one,  but 
she  be  wonderful  ignorant  for  her  years.  They  Lon- 
doners be  all  the  same.  She  didn't  know  a  field  o' 
mango  wuzels  from  turnips,  and  axed  me  what  'A  did 
wi'  myself  in  the  winter.  c  You  can't  be  cuttin'  hay  or 
gettin'  in  yer  corn,'  sez  she, l  an'  the  fields  be  all  empty ! ' 
'A  just  axed  her  to  come  an'  stop  wi'  us  for  a  month  in 
the  winter,  an'  'A'd  calkilate  'A  could  keep  her  active, 
but  she  laughs,  an'  sez  she,  l  'A  was  kept  asleep  till  last 
spring,  and  now  'A've  wakened  up,  'A  shan't  be  in  heste 
to  go  to  sleep  again,'  sez  she.  'A  couldn't  make  much 
out  o'  her,  but  she  be  wonderful  ignorant !  " 

Olive  took  Ida  home  soon  after  Elsie  had  left,  and 


204  OLIVE  TRACY 

then  Vinny  came  and  sat  by  the  sitting-room  window, 
whilst  Osmond  lay  on  his  couch. 

They  were  silent  at  first ;  Vinny's  sweet  face  looked 
rather  sad,  as  it  always  did  when  in  repose.  She  turned 
round  presently  to  Osmond  and  asked  suddenly  :  "  What 
did  you  mean  by  your  story  ?  Do  you  think  I  am 
working  my  brain  and  planning  great  things  when  I  idle 
here  ? " 

"  I  think,"  said  Osmond  slowly,  "  that  a  silent  time 
with  God  and  Nature  often  feeds  our  souls.  You  have 
so  little  time  for  meditation,  you  say,  in  town.  To  give 
time  to  one's  inner  life  is  never  wasted." 

"  Ah !  "  said  Vinny,  with  a  long  drawn  sigh,  "  don't 
credit  me  with  high  aspirations.  The  time  for  those  has 
gone  with  me.  I  only  seek  present  ease  and  present 
comfort.  I  am  tired  of  everybody  and  everything,  and 
want  a  rest.  Now  let  us  talk  of  other  things.  When 
I  first  suggested  your  coming  here,  I  little  thought  that 
Olive  would  settle  down  for  good  and  all.  That  affair 
of  Duke  Crofton's  electrified  me  !  Has  Colonel  Holmes 
come  on  the  tapis  at  all  ? " 

"Yes,  but  I  am  not  going  to  betray  Olive's  confi- 
dence. You  must  talk  to  her." 

"She  looks  wonderfully  happy,"  Vinny  went  on  in 
a  musing  tone.  "  I  thought  that  she  had  made  a  mis- 
take in  refusing  Duke,  in  fact  I  made  sure  when  he 
came  home  again  they  would  make  it  up.  By-the-bye, 
who  do  you  think  I  saw  at  Paddington  Station  the  other 
day  ?  Mark  Crofton  ! " 

"  But  he  is  in  Australia." 

"  He  is  not  there  now.  He  was  on  the  platform 
talking  very  eagerly  to  a  good-looking  girl.  Rather  a 


IN   THE   ORCHARD  205 

striking-looking  woman  she  was,  with  very  fair  hair,  and 
very  dark  eyes.  She  looked  unhappy,  but  they  seemed 
on  most  intimate  terms.  He  did  not  see  me,  and  I  did 
not  want  to  make  myself  known  to  him.  But  I  am 
sorry  that  he  is  home  again.  It  will  only  be  another 
trouble  to  his  poor  old  father.  How  is  he  ?  " 

"  Fairly  well,  I  believe.  Mrs.  Crofton  manages  him 
and  the  whole  household  now.  I  have  never  seen  her 
myself,  but  your  description  of  the  girl  Mark  was  with 
rather  tallies  with  Olive's  description  of  her.  I  had  no 
idea  he  was  home.  It  must  be  quite  a  sudden  move  on 
his  part." 

"  And  not  a  good  one  I  am  sure,  from  what  we  know 
of  Mark." 

Twilight  came  on;  outside  the  owls  commenced  to 
hoot,  and  then  Vinny  said  she  would  like  to  walk  down 
the  road  to  meet  Olive  on  her  way  back  from  the  Rec- 
tory. She  left  the  room,  and  Osmond  lay  and  mused. 

"  Vinny  is  the  one  whose  need  is  greatest,"  he  said 
half-aloud.  "  The  world  has  failed  to  satisfy  her.  Elsie 
will  have  to  buy  her  experience  yet !  " 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
"SEVERELY  WOUNDED" 

In  secret  I  wept  for  the  dangers  of  battle, 

And  thy  glory  itself  was  scarce  comfort  to  me. — Scott. 

"!T  does  one  good  to  look  at  Mrs.  Stanton,"  said 
Mrs.  March  one  afternoon,  as  tea  was  going  on  in  the 
farmhouse  kitchen.  "  She  do  seem  made  for  the  country 
and  the  country  for  her.  There  isn't  a  veg'tubble  or 
flower  in  the  garden,  that  she  doesn't  watch  and  hang 
over  like  a  hen  with  her  chicks.  Now  our  Miss  is  a 
happy  young  lady  too ;  but  she  ain't  so  wrapped  up  in 
flowers ;  she  likes  'em  but  her  thoughts  ain't  in  'em  like 
Mrs.  Stanton's  is  !  " 

"  It's  like  this,"  broke  in  Miss  March  quickly.  "  I 
can  understand  Mrs.  Stanton's  feelin's,  havin'  been  a 
Londoner  like  herself.  Her  life  is  where  she  can't  get 
such  things.  I  mind  how  hard  I  struggled  to  get  mi- 
gnonette to  grow  in  a  window-box  I  had,  and  it  never 
seemed  to  have  its  proper  country  smell  when  it  did 
come  up.  Now  Mrs.  Stanton,  she  comes  down  here 
for  a  holiday,  and  'tis  all  fresh  to  her,  she  knows  she  has 
but  a  bit  of  time  with  us,  and  she  makes  the  most  of  it. 
Town  folks  loves  a  visit  to  the  country,  but  then  she 
wouldn't  like  to  live  here  all  the  year  round,  and  Miss 
Tracy  is  going  to,  that's  all  the  difference." 

"  Ay,  Bess,"  said  the  farmer,  with  a  twinkle  in  his 
eye;  "you  be  mighty  clever,  but  Mrs.  Stanton  sez  to 

206 


"SEVERELY  WOUNDED"  207 

me  yester  afternoon  sez  she,  with  that  purty  soft  laugh 
of  hers,  c  Andrew,  I  could  spend  my  life  happy  here,'  sez 
she.  *  You  hain't  in  want  of  a  garden  woman  are  you  ? ' 
sez  she.  *  Wall,'  sez  'A,  4  you'm  be  right  welcome  to 
come  and  try  your  luck  wi'  us,'  sez  'A,  *  but  there's  your 
gentleman  to  be  considered  !  '  *  Ah '  sez  she  looking 
sad  like,  c  'tis  only  the  old  maids  have  their  liberty.  'A 
try  to  forget  'A'm  a  wife  down  here,'  sez  she.  An'  'A 
sez  to  her  'twas  a  shame  to  shut  her  up  in  that  there  art- 
ful city  where  singin'  birds  is  only  heard  in  cages,  an' 
the  heavens  rain  smuts  upon  yer !  But  she  can't  help 
herself,  poor  crittur.  Her  heart  an'  leanin's  is  right,  but 
her  sitivation  is  all  wrong  !  " 

And  if  Vinny  had  heard  this  last  sentiment,  she  would 
have  echoed  it  with  fervour. 

She  spent  all  her  time  out  of  doors,  and  only  came  in 
when  darkness  set  in. 

Osmond  enjoyed  talking  to  her,  for  she  had  much  to 
tell  him  of  their  summer  travels ;  and  she  had  enjoyed 
her  sight-seeing  so  much  more  from  having  had  Elsie 
with  her. 

"  It  has  done  her  a  lot  of  good,"  said  Vinny  one  even- 
ing, when  Olive  was  talking  about  her  younger  sister. 
"  And  her  fresh  intelligent  interest  in  everything  is  de- 
lightful. Elsie  has  an  artist's  soul;  architecture,  paint- 
ings, sculpture  and  antiquities,  all  have  a  charm  in  her 
eyes.  She  would  never  have  been  satisfied  in  the  Gar- 
den of  Eden.  Now  I  should,  that  is  the  difference  be- 
tween us." 

"  You  don't  care  for  man's  productions  ?  "  said 
Osmond. 

"  I  only  care   for  them  if  they  take  me  back  to  the 


208  OLIVE   TRACY 

original,  and  fhat  they  seldom  do.  I  love  everything  in 
God's  creation,  but  I  can  stamp  the  beauties  of  nature 
upon  the  retina  of  my  mind  without  any  aid  from  canvas 
or  sculpture.  A  beautiful  face,  a  beautiful  landscape, 
satisfies  and  contents  my  soul.  Can  you  ever  get  the 
lights  and  shadows  of  the  sky  truthfully  and  realistically 
represented  ?  I  have  never  felt  a  thrill  pass  over  me  as 
I  look  at  the  most  beautiful  paintings  on  record,  but  I 
have  thrilled  through  and  through  looking  at  a  sunset 
sky  ;  moonlight  upon  the  water ;  the  afterglow  on  some 
of  the  snowy  Alps." 

Vinny  spoke  slowly  and  dreamily.  Olive  looked  at 
her,  and  gave  a  comical  shake  of  her  head. 

"  You  are  too  visionary,"  she  said.  "  I  think  you 
ought  to  have  been  a  cloistered  nun,  but  then  you 
would  have  got  so  little  pleasure  out  of  their  chapels  and 
music." 

Vinny  smiled.  "  You  know  I  am  not  a  true  music 
lover.  The  human  voice  touches  me;  little  else.  I 
would  rather  listen  to  a  blackbird  than  to  Paderewski,  or 
any  other  noted  musician  in  the  world  !  Eden's  music 
for  me,  not  the  London  concert  halls  !  '  Barbaric  '  in 
my  tastes,  some  one  called  me  once — perhaps  I  am." 

"Music  influences  people  very  differently,"  said 
Olive.  "  You  have  no  idea  of  the  entertainment  it 
gives  to  my  small  pupil.  I  don't  think  she  has  a  note 
of  music  in  her  composition,  and  I  expect  to  have  tre- 
mendous struggles  over  it  by-and-by.  I  found  her 
strumming  on  the  piano  to-day.  l  Listen  ! '  she  said  ; 
4  why  do  they  make  a  piano  so  funnily  ?  This  is  the  big 
bear  down  at  the  bottom,  rumble,  rumble  !  the  middle 
bear  in  the  middle,  turn,  turn,  turn  !  and  the  little  bear  at 


"SEVERELY  WOUNDED"  209 

the  top,  tinkle,  tinkle  !  It's  father  bass  and  baby  treble, 
and  what's  the  middle  of  the  piano  called  ? '  I  couldn't 
tell  her.  She  takes  my  breath  away  sometimes.  c  It 
must  have  a  name/  she  went  on,  4  because  it's  the 
mother,  just  like  us  three,  father,  mother  and  me.'  Now 
when  I  start  her  at  her  five-fingered  exercises,  she  keeps 
to  her  invention,  and  murmurs  under  her  breath  :  *  It's 
always  the  mother  who  does  the  exercises,  I  wish  you 
would  let  the  father  and  the  baby  do  them.' ' 

"  She's  a  clever  little  creature,"  said  Vinny,  with  a 
wistful  smile.  "  I  expect  she  will  give  her  parents  a  lot 
of  trouble  when  she  grows  older,  but  I  envy  them  !  " 

"  She  keeps  me  busy,"  said  Olive  quickly ;  "  and  for 
that  I  thank  her." 

A  few  mornings  after,  Olive,  looking  through  the 
paper,  as  was  her  wont  before  breakfast,  came  across  the 
tidings  that  she  had  dreaded  to  see,  namely,  that  Captain 
Marmaduke  Crofton  was  severely  wounded. 

She  let  the  paper  drop  from  her  hand,  and  Vinny  com- 
ing into  the  room  found  her  gazing  vacantly  out  of  the 
window,  as  white  as  a  sheet. 

"Why  !  what  is  the  matter?  " 

Then  with  a  quick  glance  at  the  paper  — 

"  Any  bad  news  ?  " 

Olive  turned  with  great  self-control  to  make  the  tea. 
"  Duke  is  severely  wounded,"  she  said. 

Vinny  seized  the  paper  at  once. 

"  Where  ?     In  Lady  smith  ?  " 

"  Yes.     In  repulsing  an  attack  of  the  Boers." 

"  I  see  it.  Here  is  his  Battery  mentioned — a  4  bril- 
liant bit  of  work  in  which  Captain  Crofton  specially  dis- 
tinguished himself.'  Well,  it  is  not  'dangerously' 


210  OLIVE   TRACY 

wounded,  '  severely '  is  bad,  but  it  might  be  worse. 
Poor  Duke  !  I  am  sorry.  I  hoped  he  would  be  safe  in 
Ladysmith ;  and  I  am  afraid  there  will  not  be  much 
chance  of  news.  I  see  this  is  several  days  late.  His 
poor  old  father,  and  his  wife  !  How  dreadful  for  them !  " 

"  I  don't  expect  Sir  Marmaduke  will  be  told,"  said 
Olive  quietly.  She  added,  after  a  moment's  pause  :  "  I 
should  like  to  go  over  to  the  Court  and  find  out  if  they 
have  heard  any  particulars,  but  Mrs.  Crofton  is  so  pecul- 
iar that  I  never  feel  sure  of  her  welcome." 

"  Oh  nonsense,  it  is  the  natural  thing  for  old  friends 
to  inquire.  I  will  come  with  you.  I  am  longing  to  see 
this  redoubtable  young  woman.  We  will  go  this  after- 
noon." 

"  And  what  about  Ida  ? " 

"  That  child  is  a  perfect  incubus  to  you  !  Bring  her 
over  here.  She  will  be  quite  happy  with  Diogenes,  and 
is  a  great  amusement  to  him." 

"I  hope  Mrs.  Hunt  will  approve.  I  don't  like  to 
shirk  my  duties." 

But  in  the  end  the  arrangement  was  carried  out,  and 
Vinny  and  Olive  went  over  to  Crofton  Court.  They 
found  Cora  at  home.  She  received  Vinny  with  grace 
and  dignity,  and  Olive  with  more  geniality  than  usual. 
She  was  very  calm  about  Duke's  wound. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  "  it  was  a  great  shock.  I  have 
written  to  the  War  Office  and  begged  them  to  let  me 
know  further  particulars ;  but  I  expect  they  do  not  know 
more  at  present.  I  have  not  told  Sir  Marmaduke.  It 
will  only  make  him  anxious." 

"  There  is  generally  the  comfort,"  said  Vinny,  "  that 
if  they  are  badly  wounded  they  will  be  invalided  home ; 


"SEVERELY  WOUNDED"  211 

but  Duke  will  have  to  stay  where  he  is.  Still  for  the 
present  he  is  out  of  further  danger." 

Cora  started,  and  an  alarmed  look  for  an  instant  came 
into  her  eyes. 

"I  never  thought  he  might  be  sent  home!"  she  ex- 
claimed. Then  meeting  Olive's  indignant  look,  she 
added  hastily :  "  Of  course  if  he  is  very  ill,  I — I  should 
go  to  him." 

"You  could  hardly  do  that  under  the  circumstances. 
If  he  were  not  in  a  besieged  town  you  might.  Would 
you  prefer  that,  to  having  him  invalided  home  and  nurs- 
ing him  here  ?  "  said  Vinny. 

"  Yes,"  she  replied ;  "  I  am  not  in  love  with  this 
place.  All  my  friends  are  out  there,  and  I  am  anxious 
about  them.  My  old  home  has  had  to  be  shut  up  and 
left.  I  had  a  letter  from  one  of  my  sisters  yesterday. 
They  have  all  gone  to  Cape  Town,  but  I  have  a  good 
many  other  friends  who  are  in  the  Transvaal.  After 
the  colonies,  English  country  life  seems  so  tame  and 
dull.  And  as  for  society,  I  hardly  see  any  one  here  from 
one  week's  end  to  another.  Of  course  I  do  not  go  out 
much.  I  do  not  wish  it,  but  one  does  like  to  have  peo- 
ple dropping  in  in  a  friendly  and  informal  manner." 

"  But  you  must  have  a  good  many  callers  ?  " 

"Yes,"  she  said  a  little  bitterly,  "they  have  done  the 
correct  thing.  They  have  called  and  I  have  returned 
their  call,  and  there  the  intimacy  rests." 

"  Have  you  no  relatives  in  England,"  said  Vinny 
kindly,  "  who  would  come  to  stay  with  you  till  Captain 
Crofton  returns  ?  They  would  enliven  your  loneliness." 

"  None  that  would  care  to  come.  Oh  I  am  not  com- 
plaining. I  have  plenty  of  resources." 


212  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  By-the-bye,"  Vinny  said,  "  I  was  so  surprised  to  see 
Mark  was  in  England  again  !  Has  he  come  down  to  see 
Sir  Marmaduke  yet  ?  It  was  rather  strange,  but  I  saw 
you  at  Paddington  with  him  the  other  day,  and  yet  had 
not  the  slightest  idea  then  who  you  were  !  " 

Again  Cora's  face  showed  agitation,  she  turned  to  stir 
the  fire  with  a  little  laugh. 

"  You  must  have  been  quite  mistaken ;  Mark  went  to 
Australia." 

There  was  dead  silence.  Vinny  looked  across  at 
Olive  expressively,  then  she  said  carelessly  : 

"  I  suppose  I  must  have  been  mistaken  then ;  but  it 
was  Mark's  double.  I  knew  he  had  gone  to  Australia, 
but  thought  he  might  have  returned  home.  He  always 
was  very  erratic,  I  remember,  and  had  a  way  of  turning 
up  when  you  least  expected  him." 

Cora  said  nothing ;  Olive  now  asked  if  she  might  see 
Sir  Marmaduke,  and,  after  a  little  hesitation,  she  led  the 
way.  As  Vinny  remained  in  the  drawing-room,  Cora 
very  unwillingly  left  Olive  with  the  old  man,  and  re- 
turned to  do  her  duty  as  hostess. 

Vinny  did  not  touch  on  dangerous  ground  again.  She 
could  always  adapt  herself  to  her  hearer,  and  conversa- 
tion flowed  easily  and  freely.  She  discovered  more  of 
Cora's  tastes  and  opinions  in  one  visit,  than  Olive  had 
in  the  whole  summer ;  and  there  was  much  that  she 
liked  in  the  young  wife. 

Olive  meanwhile  had  been  treated  to  a  little1  burst  of 
confidence  from  old  Sir  Marmaduke. 

"  I  want  Duke  home,"  was  his  cry.  "  Things  are 
going  wrong,  and  I  can't  look  after  them.  This  Mor- 
daunt  is  worse  than  the  last  agent.  He  is  as  much  too  go- 


"SEVERELY  WOUNDED"  213 

ahead  as  the  other  was  too  slow.  I  am  for  ever  drawing 
cheques  for  repairs  and  improvements  which  he  considers 
necessary.  It  is  all  I  am  good  for,  my  dear !  A 
crippled,  disabled,  old  man  just  able  to  write  his  own 
name  !  but  I  will  do  that  till  Duke  comes  home,  and 
then  he  must  leave  the  service  and  settle  down  here  with 
his  wife.  That  is  if  ever  he  comes  home  alive  !  My 
poor  boy  !  Shut  up  in  Ladysmith  to  starve,  and  no 
chance  of  being  relieved  at  present !  How  am  I  to 
know  whether  he  is  dead  or  alive  !  No  letter,  no  news, 
and  here  am  I  too  ill  to  attend  to  business  matters,  and 
Mordaunt  has  it  all  his  own  way  !  Would  you  believe 
it,  he  won't  come  and  see  me  !  He  is  afraid  I  shall  give 
him  a  bit  of  my  mind ;  he  makes  one  excuse  after  the 
other.  I  have  never  set  eyes  on  him  yet,  but  I  tell  Cora 
if  he  doesn't  obey  my  summons  I  will  send  him  off.  I 
am  not  quite  a  fool,  though  she  thinks  I  am,  but  it  will 
be  all  right  when  Duke  is  home." 

Then  he  began  to  talk  about  his  wife,  and  to  divert 
his  mind  Olive  interested  him  in  her  quaint  little  pupil 
and  her  surroundings.  When  he  was  quite  cheerful  again 
she  left  him  and  rejoined  Vinny  in  the  drawing-room. 

"  Well,  how  do  you  like  her  ?  "  Olive  asked  her  sister, 
as  they  were  making  their  way  homewards. 

"I  am  puzzled,"  was  Vinny's  quiet  reply.  "She  is 
not  a  stupid  woman  by  any  means.  She  is  very  fond  of 
animals,  and  is  a  good  horsewoman.  Yet  she  says  she 
has  hardly  taken  half  a  dozen  rides.  Sir  Marmaduke 
has  no  good  enough  mount  for  her.  I  pity  her.  It  is 
a  difficult  and  a  solitary  life  that  she  is  leading,  and  I 
admire  her  for  the  grit  that  enabled  her  to  take  and  main- 
tain such  a  position." 


214 OLIVE   TRACY 

"  She  is  not  true,"  said  Olive  slowly. 

"  No ;  but  I  think  there  is  something  preying  on  her 
mind ;  some  secret  that  she  is  afraid  we  will  discover. 
What  was  her  object  in  denying  that  she  was  with 
Mark  ?  She  might  have  known  I  could  not  be  mistaken. 
I  suppose  he  does  not  want  his  whereabouts  to  be  dis- 
covered; perhaps  he  is  in  hiding.  He  may  have  got  into 
some  other  scrape." 

"  I  cannot  feel  warmly  towards  a  woman  who  lies  !  " 
exclaimed  Olive  hotly. 

"  My  dear  child,  I  have  seen  too  much  of  society 
subterfuges  and  polite  equivocations  to  be  so  merciless 
in  my  judgment.  I  don't  think  I  would  tell  a  direct  lie  ; 
but  I  am  perfectly  certain  that  I  have  been  guilty  again 
and  again  of  fictitious  compliments  and  excuses." 

"  Oh,  Vinny,  don't  make  yourself  out  untrue.  I  have 
such  a  scorn  for  anything  underhand.  I  cannot  bear  to 
hear  you  talk  of  your  life  in  town  sometimes;  you 
hardly  seem  to  believe  in  anything." 

"  I  think  I  feel  more  tenderly  towards  erring  ones  than 
you  do,"  returned  Vinny  good-humouredly.  "  But  then 
I  don't  profess  to  be  a  good  person." 

"  Do  I  ?  "  asked  Olive.  "  I  do  so  dislike  to  be  thought 
a  prig.  But  at  the  bottom  of  my  heart  I  have  the  long- 
ing to  be  c  good,'  as  you  call  it." 

Vinny  laid  her  hand  affectionately  on  her  arm. 

"  I  wish  I  were  like  you,  Olive,"  she  said.  "  I  have 
quick  eyes,  and  you  are  different  to  what  you  used  to  be. 
Not  quite  so  rattlepated,  but  a  good  deal  happier,  I  should 
say." 

"  It  is  happiness  that  I  can  hardly  talk  about,"  said 
Olive ;  "  it  is  too  deep  to  be  ruffled,  I  hope." 


"SEVERELY  WOUNDED"  215 

* 

There  was  a  little  silence.  They  were  in  the  train, 
and  Vinny  gazed  out  upon  the  richly-tinted  woods  and 
hills  through  which  they  were  passing  with  misty  eyes. 

Then  she  turned  suddenly  to  her  younger  sister. 

u  I  tried  to  be  good  once,"  she  said.  "  It  was  soon 
after  I  married.  I  used  to  attend  a  church  in  Kensing- 
ton, where  there  was  a  certain  Father  S that  ob- 
tained an  extraordinary  influence  over  me  for  the  time. 
I  went  to  early  services,  and  read  books  of  devotion,  and 
copied  out  copious  extracts  from  a  book  about  the  Holy 
Fathers,  which  he  lent  me,  and  I  had  longings  after  a 
devotional  life.  Looking  back  now  I  think  perhaps  I 
was  rather  a  trying  young  wife.  It  was  the  beginning 
of  Randolph's  life  and  mine  drifting  apart.  And  we 
have  never  properly  come  together  since.  I  think  we 
perhaps  prefer  to  go  our  own  ways  now ;  but  I  was  too 
young  a  wife  to  begin  it.  I  tried  it  for  about  six  months, 

but  it  was  too  great  an  effort.  Father  S moved 

away,  and  my  prop  was  gone.  So  I  came  to  the  con- 
clusion it  was  all  much  ado  about  nothing,  and  I  have 
not  dipped  deeply  into  religious  matters  since." 

"You  have  never  told  me  this  before,"  said  Olive. 

"  No ;  it  isn't  a  subject  I  care  to  bring  up.  Religion 
has  failed  to  satisfy  me." 

"  Diogenes  would  say  you  had  been  building  on  sand, 
and  so  of  course  your  building  came  to  the  ground. 
I'm  glad  I  wasn't  led  your  way,"  said  Olive  musingly. 

"  What  way  were  you  led  ?  " 

It  was  Olive's  opportunity.  Very  slowly  and  halt- 
ingly she  gave  her  sister  her  experience.  She  finished  by 
saying : 

"  It  is  the  daily  presence  of  Christ  with  one ;  that  is 


216  OLIVE   TRACY 

1 
the  secret  of  it  all.     I  have  never  forgotten  some  words 

that  Duke  said  before  going  away.  He  defined  a  happy 
life  like  this  :  l  When  the  inner  life  is  adjusted  so  satis- 
factorily that  it  gives  one  no  trouble,  and  there  is  time 
and  opportunity  to  spend  the  outer  one  on  others.'  I 
found  I  couldn't  adjust  my  inner  life  at  all  to  my  satis- 
faction, so  I  handed  it  over  to  the  One  who  could." 

11 1  dare  say,"  said  Vinny  slowly,  "  that  I  made  Father 

S my  god.  I  know  I  went  to  him  for  everything. 

Still  it  seems  too  late  now  for  me  to  get  up  any  enthusi- 
asm about  anything." 

She  turned  the  subject  and  would  say  no  more,  but  a 
few  days  after,  when  she  and  Osmond  had  been  spend- 
ing an  idle  afternoon  in  the  orchard,  and  the  tea  bell 
rang  to  summon  them  indoors,  she  rose  from  her  lounge 
chair  with  a  sigh. 

"  I  am  doing  a  lot  of  thinking  down  here,  Diogenes. 
I  believe  if  I  were  in  the  country  long  I  should  turn 
into  quite  a  good  person.  My  soul  seems  to  come  up- 
permost. I  suppose  it  is  the  combination  of  circum- 
stances." 


CHAPTER  XIX 

A    FULLER    SPHERE 

Who  does  the  best  his  circumstance  allows 
Does  well,  acts  nobly ;  angels  could  no  more. 

—  Young. 

THOSE  were  trying  days  to  Olive.  Fighting  against 
it  as  she  did,  Duke,  and  Duke  only,  was  in  her 
thoughts  and  heart.  She  opened  the  morning  paper  with 
a  trembling  hand,  fearing  to  see  his  name  on  the  death- 
roll.  She  lay  awake  at  night  picturing  him  suffering  in 
a  rough,  bare  hospital  with  no  luxuries  or  comforts,  and 
a  very  limited  supply  of  nourishment.  She  wondered  if 
he  were  maimed  for  life ;  if  he  were  making  progress  ; 
or  if  his  vigour  and  strength  were  slowly  ebbing  away. 

And  Osmond  was  quite  as  anxious ;  to  all  appearances 
more  so  than  Olive,  who  was  strangely  quiet  as  she 
went  about  her  different  duties.  Vinny  had  asked  Cora 
to  let  them  know  when  she  received  any  news,  but  days 
passed,  and  they  heard  no  more.  At  last,  one  morning, 
a  letter  from  Cora  came.  It  was  very  brief. 

DEAR  MRS.  STANTON, 

I  have  heard  that  Marmaduke  has  been  wounded  in  his 
head  and  right  shoulder.  He  is  making  good  progress,  so  we  are  very 
thankful.  Believe  me, 

Yours  sincerely, 

CORA  CROFTON. 

Olive  went  off  to  the  Rectory  that  morning  rather 
restless  and  pre-occupied  ;  and  Ida  quickly  took  advan- 

217 


218  OLIVE   TRACY 

tage  of  her  mood.  It  was  not  all  plain  sailing  with  such  a 
wayward,  excitable,  little  pupil ;  and  there  were  times 
when  Olive's  patience  nearly  gave  way,  and  her  self- 
control  failed  her.  Ida's  idea  of  lessons  was  to  dash 
through  them  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  then  scamper 
off  out  of  doors.  If  all  went  well,  she  was  in  the  best  of 
tempers,  but  a  turned  lesson  brought  a  thundercloud  to 
her  brow. 

"  There !  "  she  said,  after  a  long  struggle  with  a  sum 
which  had  been  handed  back  to  her  to  do  again.  "  Now 
you're  as  cross  as  a  proper  governess,  and  I  won't  do 
any  more  of  those  nasty  figures !  I  hate  them,  and  I  hate 
you ! " 

She  dashed  her  slate  on  the  floor,  breaking  it  to  pieces, 
and  seizing  Beautiful  by  her  arm,  swept  out  of  the  room 
like  a  small  whirlwind. 

Olive  sat  for  a  moment  astonished,  and  taken  aback 
by  this  display  of  temper;  then,  with  a  sigh,  went  in 
search  of  her.  After  a  fruitless  wandering  over  house 
and  garden,  she  met  Mrs.  Hunt  starting  out  on  a  tour 
through  the  village.  She  smiled  when  she  heard  of  what 
had  occurred. 

"  Don't  look  so  shamefaced  about  it,  my  dear.  I 
knew  you  wouldn't  always  sail  along  so  smoothly.  You 
know  most  of  her  hiding  places,  so  it  will  only  be  a 
question  of  time.  I  can't  offer  to  help  you,  because  I 
am  too  busy,  and  I  warned  you  that  you  must  manage 
her  entirely  by  yourself.  I  am  worried  too  this  morn- 
ing. My  husband  caught  such  a  cold  a  few  Sundays  ago  in 
church,  and  he  has  got  worse  and  worse,  and  won't  stay 
in  bed,  and  this  morning  his  breathing  is  quite  alarming. 
It  is  all  that  obstinate  old  Ward's  fault ;  he  would  not 


A  FULLER  SPHERE  219 

light  the  stoves  early  enough.  Said  he  had  been  here 
through  three  c  generations ' — as  he  calls  it — of  parsons, 
and  the  church  stoves  were  never  lighted  before  the  first 
of  November.  I  am  going  down  to  give  him  a  good 
scolding  now,  and  I  have  sent  for  Dr.  Graves.  Per- 
haps my  husband  will  attend  to  him,  if  not  to  me ;  you 
see  I  have  my  authority  defied,  as  well  as  you  !  " 

She  passed  on,  and  Olive  pursued  her  search  with 
fresh  vigour.  Presently  she  thought  of  the  church,  and 
making  her  way  through  the  old  churchyard,  looked  in 
at  the  half-open  door.  To  her  great  relief,  she  found 
her  search  was  at  an  end ;  but  she  was  a  witness  of  a 
strange  scene.  At  the  chancel  rails  stood  Ida,  facing  the 
stained  east  window,  and  her  small  figure  looked  almost 
defiant  in  its  attitude. 

She  was  talking  out  loud,  and  whether  it  was  meant 
to  be  a  prayer,  or  only  the  utterance  of  her  thoughts 
Olive  never  knew,  but  this  was  what  she  said  : 

"  Oh  God,  it  is  no  use  telling  me  to  be  good,  for  I 
won't  be  good.  I  don't  want  to  be,  and  I  never  will  be 
again.  I've  shaken  Beautiful  till  her  teeth  has  rattled 
down  her  throat,  and  I've  throwed  her  into  the  stinging 
nettles  !  And — and  I'm  not  a  bit  sorry  !  " 

A  little  sob  seemed  to  rise  in  the  child's  throat ;  but 
she  turned  round  and  marched  down  the  aisle,  and  Olive, 
realising  she  was  in  a  dangerous  mood,  slipped  behind  a 
pillar,  and  let  her  pass  out  without  stopping  her.  Then, 
at  a  little  distance,  she  followed  her.  Ida  walked  on 
with  a  discontented  air,  kicking  the  pebbles  that  came  in 
her  way.  She  paused  when,  just  outside  the  church 
gate,  she  came  to  the  patch  of  stinging  nettles.  A  bit 
of  Beautiful's  cotton  frock  was  to  be  seen. 


220  OLIVE   TRACY 

Beautiful's  little  mother  began  to  feel  remorse  tugging 
at  her  heart. 

"  Are  you  there,  Beautiful  ? " 

A  silence,  only  broken  by  the  twittering  of  some  blue 
tits  close  by. 

"  Beautiful,  did  I  hurt  you  much  ?  " 

"  Beautiful,  dear,  I'm  sorry,  but  I  can't  pick  you  up, 
the  nettles  hurt  so  !  " 

A  long  pause,  and*  then  the  love  for  her  cherished 
plaything  overcame  all  else, 

"  My  darling  Beautiful,  come  back  to  your  dear,  sweet 
mother !  " 

The  little  hands  plunged  into  the  nettles ;  Beautiful 
was  rescued,  apparently  no  worse  for  her  treatment,  and 
then,  sitting  down  on  the  gravel  path,  the  little  maiden 
rocked  her  doll  to  and  fro  in  her  arms,  tears  flowing 
freely  from  pain,  regret  and  general  distress. 

It  was  at  this  point  Olive  stepped  forward,  and, 
without  a  word,  she  lifted  child  and  doll  in  her  arms, 
and  carried  them  into  the  schoolroom. 

Then  she  rubbed  the  little  blistered  fingers  with  dock 
leaves,  and  kissed  and  comforted  her  small  pupil,  whose 
naughty  fits  were  quickly  over ;  and  whose  little  tender 
heart  was  now  burdened  with  the  sense  of  her  short- 
comings. 

Clasping  Olive  tightly  round  the  neck  she  sobbed  as 
if  her  heart  would  break  : 

"  I've  spoken  improper  to  God,  and  I  did  the  very 
wickedest  thing  of  all,  I  spoke  it  in  church  out  loud  when 
He  was  listening  !  And  He'll  never,  never  forgive  me. 
I  know  He  never  will !  " 

It  was  not  difficult  to  ease  and  comfort  the  troubled 


A  FULLER  SPHERE  221 

little  heart,  and  Ida  was  soon  kneeling  at  Olive's  knee 
whispering  out  her  sorrow  and  penitence  to  the  One  she 
had  grieved. 

If  Olive  had  followed  her  own  feelings,  she  would 
not  have  touched  lessons  again  that  day,  but  she  was 
wise  enough  to  be  firm,  and  when  Ida  was  composed 
and  calm,  a  fresh  slate  was  brought  out ;  the  same  sum 
written  down  and  handed  to  her. 

"  Now,  dear,  you  must  prove  that  you  are  sorry,  and 
set  to  work  at  once." 

For  just  an  instant  a  rebellious  curve  came  to  the 
child's  lips,  and  then,  with  hanging  head,  in  perfect 
silence,  she  accomplished  the  task ;  and  both  teacher 
and  pupil  drew  a  breath  of  relief  when  the  slate  was  put 
aside  and  more  congenial  occupations  were  taken  up. 

Olive  was  tired  in  spirit  and  body  when  she  walked 
home  that  evening.  She  wondered  sometimes  if  she  had 
been  wise  in  undertaking  a  child's  education  and  train- 
ing ;  whether  she  were  fitted  for  it  by  nature,  and 
though  she  had  been  trying  it  for  such  a  short  time,  she 
began  to  feel  that  it  was  a  cramped  and  narrow  sphere 
to  live  in. 

"  I  ought  to  be  content,"  she  mused,  as  she  walked 
along.  "  Diogenes  is  content  with  a  still  smaller  sphere 
than  mine.  If  Ida  were  bigger,  and  we  had  more  time 
at  lessons  it  would  not  seem  such  a  waste  of  the  day, 
but  then  perhaps  I  should  find  myself  not  competent  to 
teach  her.  If  I  do  spend  my  afternoons  in  dressing  dolls 
and  playing  games,  I  keep  her  out  of  mischief,  and  get 
many  chances  of  improving  the  occasion.  It  is  the  be- 
ing '  faithful  in  the  little  things  '  that  must  be  my  endeav- 
our. I  must  hope  that  greater  things  will  come  to  me ! " 


222  OLIVE   TRACY 

Her  thoughts  took  an  upward  turn,  and  it  was  in  her 
daily  walks  to  and  from  the  Rectory  that  she  learnt  the 
secret  of  communion  with  her  Master. 

Then  suddenly  came  changes. 

Vinny  was  summoned  home  to  her  husband,  and  on 
the  very  day  that  she  left,  Mr.  Hunt  lay  dangerously  ill 
of  pneumonia.  Mrs.  Hunt  rose  to  the  occasion.  She 
left  her  parish  and  nursed  her  husband  with  patient,  un- 
tiring devotion.  Olive  offered  at  once  to  sleep  at  the 
Rectory,  and  Mrs.  Hunt  gladly  accepted  her  offer,  for 
there  was  much  that  she  could  do  towards  helping  in  the 
house.  After  three  weeks  of  anxious  nursing  Mr.  Hunt 
recovered,  but  was  in  such  a  delicate  state  of  health,  that 
the  doctor  said  the  only  chance  of  saving  his  life  would 
be  to  take  him  abroad  for  the  whole  winter.  In  an  in- 
credibly short  time  Mrs.  Hunt  had  made  her  arrange- 
ments. A  locum  tenens  had  been  obtained  who  would 
come  over  for  the  services  on  Sunday.  The  house  was 
to  be  left  in  charge  of  a  caretaker,  and  Olive  was  to  give 
Ida  a  home  at  the  farm  till  her  parents  returned.  This 
seemed  to  settle  the  matter  of  her  remaining  in  the 
neighbourhood.  She  was  glad  it  had  been  taken  out  of 
her  hands,  for  she  felt  that  she  could  not  fail  Mrs.  Hunt 
at  such  a  time. 

"  I  am  thankful  for  my  mercies,"  Mrs.  Hunt  said  to 
her  the  day  before  she  left  the  Rectory  with  her  invalid 
husband.  "  I  little  thought  when  I  first  heard  of  your 
arrival  at  the  farm  what  a  comfort  you  would  be  to  me. 
I  am  going  away  with  a  light  heart,  for  you  will  give  an 
eye  to  the  parish,  and  keep  things  going,  won't  you  ? 
You  know  most  of  the  villagers,  and  they  know  and  like 
you.  You  will  superintend  the  Sunday  school,  and  at- 


A  FULLER  SPHERE  223 

tend  the  choir  practices,  and  keep  on  the  mothers'  meet- 
ing and  clubs,  and  write  to  me  about  it  all,  and  then  you 
have  my  child  to  look  after  and  teach  in  addition.  Oh, 
my  dear  Olive,  I  wonder  if  it  is  too  much  for  you  ?  " 

Olive  looked  up  at  her  friend  with  glowing  eyes. 

"  It  is  in  answer  to  prayer,  Mrs.  Hunt.  I  thrive  in  a 
full  life ;  it  is  what  I  have  been  longing  for !  I  have  told 
you  of  my  old  life  at  home,  the  many  for  whom  I  had  to 
think  and  arrange.  It  has  been  my  great  trial  here  that 
I  have  had  too  much  time  on  my  hands.  I  cannot  tell 
you  how  gladly  I  shall  set  to  work ;  and  promise  you  I 
will  do  my  very  best,  though,  of  course,  I  cannot  expect 
to  fill  your  place." 

"  You  are  going  to  become  the  busy  worker,  I  the 
idler,"  said  Mrs.  Hunt  with  a  little  grimace  of  disgust. 

"  I  am  afraid  a  dolce  far  niente  life  will  be  very  dis- 
tasteful to  you,"  said  Olive. 

"  Don't  mention  it !  I  shudder  sometimes  at  the 
thought,  and  yet  when  I  look  at  my  husband,  and  feel 
how  nearly  he  has  been  taken  from  me,  I  am  furious 
with  myself  for  feeling  a  pang  at  going  with  him  !  He 
wants  me  now  more  than  the  parish,  and  a  woman's 
mission  in  life  is  to  supply  the  wants  of  her  fellow 
creatures.  As  long  as  he  needs  me  I  shall  be  happy. 
When  he  is  well  enough  to  say  to  me,  as  he  has  so 
often  done :  '  my  dear,  I  wish  to  be  left  undisturbed,'  I 
shall  have  hankerings  after  my  dear  parish  again  !  " 

Ida  wandered  about  disconsolately  at  this  time.  Her 
mother  thought  lightly  of  her  feelings. 

"  Children  are  so  easily  made  happy.  They  adapt 
themselves  so  naturally  to  change  of  life  and  scene," 
she  said  to  her  husband,  when  he  was  wondering  how 


224  OLIVE   TRACY 

the  little  girl  would  bear  it.  And  to  all  appearance,  Ida 
took  it  calmly  and  unconcernedly,  chattering  of  the  new 
arrangements  with  the  greatest  animation  and  interest. 
But  when  the  last  day  came,  and  she  was  put  to  bed  for 
the  last  time  in  her  .old  nursery,  the  full  realisation  of 
her  coming  loss  swept  across  her  little  soul. 

11  Delia,"  she  said  to  her  maid,  "  do  you  think 
mother  might  just  like  to  look  in  at  me  before  she  goes 
to  bed  ?  Just  in  case  you  know  I  have  anything  to  tell 
her.  Because  she's  going  away  so  early  to-morrow 
morning  !  " 

Delia  took  the  hint,  and  Mrs.  Hunt  was  informed  that 
her  little  daughter  would  like  to  see  her. 

She  came  in  with  luggage  labels,  and  straps  in  her  hand. 

"  Well,  Ida,"  she  said  cheerfully,  "  what  is  it,  dear  ? 
I  am  very  busy.  There  seems  so  much  to  be  got 
through.  Do  you  want  anything  ?  " 

There  was  no  answer  for  a  minute ;  then,  in  a  very 
small  voice : 

"  If  Miss  Tracy  has  to  go  away  too,  what  shall  I  do, 
mother  ?  " 

"  You  absurd  child  !  Is  she  likely  to  leave  you  ?  Be 
a  good  girl  and  do  all  that  you  are  told.  You  will  be 
very  happy  at  the  farm.  Now  good-night;  I  must 
hurry  away,  for  father  may  be  wanting  me." 

She  bent  down  and  hastily  kissed  the  fair,  curly  head 
that  was  now  turned  away  from  her  towards  the  wall. 
Then  she  went  out,  closing  the  door  sharply  after  her. 
She  little  knew  how  near  she  had  been  to  a  burst  of 
affection  and  love  from  her  child's  overcharged  heart. 
She  had  never  been  a  demonstrative  mother,  and  yet  had 
sometimes  longed  for  some  token  of  affection  from  her 


A  FULLER  SPHERE  225 

small  daughter.  This  token  was  so  nearly  given  to  her 
that  night,  and  yet — she  just  missed  it. 

Ida's  head  was  turned  away ;  for  tears  were  falling 
fast,  and  she  clutched  hold  of  Beautiful  with  hot  trem- 
bling hands. 

"  No  one  don't  want  me,  Beautiful,  except  you ; 
they're  going  across  the  sea  and  I  shall  belong  to  no 
one,  and  I  did  want  to  hug  mother  tight  just  for  once — 
only  once,  and  I  would  never  do  it  again  !  She  was  too 
quick  and  hurrying,  and  she's  banged  the  door,  and  oh, 
I  do  want  some  one  to  kiss  me  tight !  " 

She  sobbed  herself  to  sleep,  but  later  on  father  and 
mother  both  stood  by  her  bedside. 

"  My  poor  little  girlie,"  said  Mr.  Hunt  wistfully. 
"  How  we  shall  miss  your  restless,  happy  little  ways  !  " 

"  She  will  be  well  looked  after,"  said  his  practical 
wife,  stooping  over  her  little  daughter  and  covering  one 
arm  and  shoulder,  which  were  exposed.  "  She  is  easily 
pleased,  and  children  have  no  very  strong  affections. 
Why,  her  cheeks  are  quite  tear-stained ;  she  must  have 
been  crying  in  her  sleep !  Over  some  imaginary  woe 
befalling  her  cherished  doll,  I  expect !  I  think  it  is  the 
doll  that  occupies  a  first  place  in  her  heart ;  we  come 
second.  Now,  William,  come ;  you  will  see  her  again 
to-morrow  morning ;  it  is  not  good-bye." 

They  left  the  room,  and  the  child  slept  unconsciously 
on,  to  wake  the  next  morning  with  a  looming  shadow 
over  her.  She  was  very  quiet  at  the  early  breakfast,  and 
followed  her  father  about  afterwards  from  room  to  room. 
Olive  came  over  and  received  a  great  many  parting 
instructions,  and  then  the  time  came  for  the  actual 
departure.  An  embrace  from  each  parent,  and  then  Ida 


226  OLIVE   TRACY 

ran  along  the  drive  after  the  carriage,  waving  her  hand- 
kerchief. She  came  back  to  Olive  with  a  sad  little  face, 
but  was  given  so  many  things  to  do  that  the  sunbeams 
came  back,  and  she  trotted  round  the  house  making  her- 
self generally  useful,  full  of  eager  anticipation  of  her  stay 
at  the  Farm. 

Olive  did  indeed  find  her  hands  full  now,  but  she 
"  gloried  in  it,"  as  Osmond  often  told  her.  It  gave  her 
less  time  for  thinking  ;  and  in  looking  after  the  wants  of 
the  villagers,  she  found  comfort  and  help  herself.  Some- 
times the  constant  presence  of  a  child  in  the  house  was 
a  trial  to  her,  especially  now  the  days  were  so  short  and 
dark,  and  Ida  was  necessarily  kept  indoors  a  good 
deal.  It  was  difficult  to  keep  her  at  all  times  happily 
employed,  but  Osmond  was  indefatigable  in  his  plans  of 
occupying  her  time,  and  Ida  was  wonderfully  subservient 
to  his  will. 

The  Marches  were  fond  of  children,  and  in  after 
years  Ida  used  to  look  back  to  that  winter  of  hers  at  the 
farmhouse  as  one  of  the  happiest  times  in  her  life.  She 
went  out  to  the  dairy  and  helped  Miss  March  skim  the 
milk,  and  roll  her  beautiful  yellow  butter  into  pats  for 
the  market.  She  would  stand  and  watch  Mrs.  March 
making  pastry  and  hot  cakes,  and  with  the  parings  that 
were  over  would  knead  delicious  little  cakes  for  herself 
and  Beautiful.  She  would  coax  Andrew  to  let  her  drive 
some  of  the  big  cart  horses  round  the  yard,  and  would 
play  hide-and-seek  in  the  lofts  and  barns  with  some  of 
the  younger  farm  hands.  But  perhaps  the  time  she  liked 
best  of  all  was  in  the  twilight,  when,  lying  on  the  rug 
by  the  sitting-room  fire,  she  would  listen  to  some  wonder- 
ful stories  told  by  Osmond. 


A  FULLER  SPHERE  227 

"  Oh,"  she  exclaimed  one  day,  "there  can't  be  another 
person  in  the  world  like  you,  Uncle  Humbug !  I  wish 
other  boys  and  girls  could  hear  your  stories.  When  I 
grow  up  I  shall  have  big  parties,  and  ask  every  boy  and 
girl  I  know  to  come  and  listen  to  you." 

"  You  won't  care  for  my  stories  then,"  said  Osmond. 

"  I  shall  care  for  stories  for  ever,  and  ever,  and 
ever  !  "  was  the  solemn  reply. 


CHAPTER  XX 

NURSING 

Solitude  sometimes  is  best  society, 

And  short  retirement  urges  sweet  return. — Milton. 

CHRISTMAS  came  and  went  very  quietly  at  the  Farm. 
The  disastrous  events  in  South  Africa  throughout  the 
darkest  months  in  the  year,  cast  a  gloom  not  only  over 
the  British  nation  as  a  whole,  but  over  every  family  and 
individual.  Even  Andrew  March  was  roused  at  last  to 
take  a  little  interest  in  the  hundreds  of  his  brave  fellow 
countrymen  who  were  fighting  and  falling  so  gallantly 
before  their  foe.  He  no  longer  ridiculed  his  sister  for 
her  interest  in  the  newspapers,  but  would  inquire  daily, 

"  Well,  Bess,  hasn't  us  thrashed  them  old  Boers  yet  ? 
My  word  !  What  is  our  army  a-doin'  ?  If  they'd  throw 
down  their  guns  and  kick  them-there  shells  and  cannon 
out  o'  the  way,  and  just  use  their  fistises  a  bit,  the 
enemy  would  be  soon  knocked  to  pieces !  'A'd  like  to 
see  the  foreigner  who  would  stand  up  agen  me  ! " 

Mrs.  Giles  was  still  the  one  object  of  the  villagers' 
interest.  When  her  son  had  come  home  to  take  leave 
of  her  he  was  treated  as  a  hero,  and  if  he  had  not  been 
a  steady,  quiet  lad^  his  head  would  have  been  turned  by 
the  adulation  and  praise  that  he  received  from  those  who 
formerly  spoke  of  him  in  pitying  contempt.  If  he  had 
been  going  out  as  General  in  supreme  command  with 
the  whole  army  under  him,  he  could  not  have  been 
treated  with  more  respect  and  veneration. 

228 


NURSING  229 


"  Ay,  lad,"  said  the  landlord  of  the  Spider,  the  prin- 
cipal inn  in  the  village,  "ye'll  remember  ye've  the  hon- 
our of  Egerton  Cross  to  keep  up.  There's  Bill  Tucker 
and  Harry  Davis  been  hurryin'  themselves  into  a  regi- 
ment to  get  out,  and  now  finds  theirselves  in  a  reg'lar 
take  in,  having  to  go  off  to  some  barracks  in  Aldershot, 
and  twiddle  their  thumbs  a-doin'  nothin'  but  drill,  and  is 
told  as  they  be  under  age,  and  no  recruits  is  a-goin'  out 
to  fight !  Well  the  army  has  lost  two  strong,  able  chaps 
as  ever  I  see,  and  small  wonder  if  the  enemy  does  get 
the  better  of  us,  if  the  young  uns  be  all  left  at  home. 
Us  will  have  our  eyes  on  'ee,  Giles,  and  will  look  out 
for  yer  name  in  the  paper  wi'  an  account  o'  yer  fightin'  ! 
Mind  'ee  gets  that  Victory  Cross,  they  tell  on,  and  just 
giv'  the  enemy  a  right  good  thrashin',  and  let  us  hear  on 
victory  right  away,  from  the  moment  ye  sets  your  foot 
on  the  enemy's  ground  !  " 

Mrs.  Giles  found  some  of  the  neighbours'  questions 
rather  embarrassing. 

"  No  letter  yet,  Missis  ?  And  he's  gone  nigh  on  four 
weeks  !  Ay,  ye've  had  a  bit  of  a  letter  to  tell  on  his 
doin's  in  the  ship,  but  us  want  to  know  about  his  battles 
wi'  the  enemy,  and  he  ought  to  be  at  'em  by  this  time! 
There  be  no  word  on  him  in  the  papers.  'Tis  rayther 
disappointin'." 

Olive's  anxiety  increased  rather  than  lessened  now 
that  Eddie  was  at  the  Front.  He  had  joined  General 
Buller  immediately  on  his  arrival,  and  was  through  the 
whole  of  the  Battle  of  Colenso  on  the  Tugela.  He  sent 
her  a  telegram  immediately  after  it,  and  with  his  usual 
thoughtfulness  for  his  servant's  mother  included  him  in  it. 

"  Giles  and  myself  safe." 


230  OLIVE   TRACY 

This  caused  great  excitement  in  the  village;  Mrs. 
Giles  wept  tears  of  joy  when  she  received  it,  and  came 
up  to  the  Farm  to  thank  Olive  for  having  sent  it  to  her 
so  promptly. 

There  was  little  news  of  Duke.  All  that  could  be 
heard  was  that  he  was  going  on  well,  and  in  the  begin- 
ning of  January  a  very  short  letter  was  received  by  his 
father.  Poor  Sir  Marmaduke  could  not  be  kept  long  in 
ignorance  of  his  son's  fate,  and  he  fretted  sorely  through 
those  December  days.  Olive  saw  the  letter  when  she 
went  over  to  the  Court  one  day.  It  was  as  follows : 

Ladysmith,  8th  Dec. 
MY  DEAR  FATHER, 

I  know  you  will  be  glad  to  hear  that  I  am  getting  along 
first  rate.  If  I  had  not  had  so  much  fever  following  my  wounds,  I 
should  have  been  up  and  about  before  this.  We  are  holding  out  well 
here,  so  you  must  not  be  anxious.  We  are  not  idle  here  as  perhaps 
you  may  know.  Some  of  our  fellows  have  just  got  in  after  a  very 
successful  little  sortie  in  which  they  have  ousted  the  Boers  from  Lom- 
bard's Kop  and  destroyed  "  Long  Tom  "  !  Only  one  man  killed  and 
three  wounded  on  our  side.  Keep  up  heart.  Buller  is  on  the  way  to 
relieve  us,  and  we  have  great  faith  in  him.  Let  all  friends  know  I'm 
convalescent.  Tell  Cora  she  must  cheer  you  up. 

Your  affectionate  son, 

MARMADUKE. 

P.S. — This  is  an  experiment.  A  runner  is  trying  to  get  through 
with  several  messages,  and  I  daren't  write  more. 

Sir  Marmaduke  was  easier  in  his  mind  after  receiving 
this,  and  Olive  returned  to  the  Farm  cheering  Osmond 
with  the  news. 

One  afternoon  soon  after  this,  Olive  came  in  from 
some  visits  in  the  village.  Osmond  was  in  his  room. 
It  had  been  one  of  his  suffering  days,  and  his  head  was 
so  bad,  that  he  had  retired  to  bed.  Ida  was  on  the  rug 


NURSING  231 


in  the  firelight,  busy  with  her  doll.  She  looked  up  as 
Olive  entered  the  room,  and  her  little  voice  sounded 
rather  plaintive  : 

"  Me  and  Beautiful  has  hurt  throats,  and  we're  going 
to  wear  flannel  round  them." 

"  But  darling,  you  are  not  cutting  up  that  nice  little 
blanket  I  made  for  Beautiful  ?  " 

"  Yes  I  am.  Beautiful  is  crying  'cause  her  throat  is 
very  hurt,  and  she's  going  to  bed  at  once  !  " 

The  little  hands  were  busy  winding  strips  of  flannel 
round  and  round  her  treasure's  neck  till  her  face  was  al- 
most hidden  from  sight. 

Olive  sat  down  by  the  fire,  and  warmed  her  feet, 
smiling  at  the  child's  play. 

Presently  Beautiful  was  put  in  her  cradle  with  a  little 
shake. 

"  You're  feeling  nasty  and  cross,  and  you're  not  to  be, 
for  you  shall  have  the  doctor  to-morrow  !  " 

Then  the  child  flung  herself  on  Olive's  lap. 

"  Now  you  must  bind  me  round,  and  make  me  well !  " 

Olive  kissed  her,  then  bent  over  her  suddenly,  for  the 
blue  eyes  were  heavy,  the  little  hands  hot  and  feverish. 

"  Is  your  throat  really  sore,  Ida  ?  " 

"  Of  course  it  is.  Wrap  it  up  direck'ly.  Beautiful 
and  me  is  ill." 

She  spoke  fretfully,  and  Olive  took  her  straight  up- 
stairs to  bed,  giving  her  a  treacle  posset,  Mrs.  March's 
favourite  cure  for  a  cold. 

All  night  long  she  was  feverish  and  restless,  and  the 
next  morning  seemed  so  poorly,  that  Olive  sent  for  the 
doctor. 

"  I  am  very  anxious,"  she  said  to  Mrs.  March  j  "  for 


232  OLIVE   TRACY 

six  of  the  village  children  are  down  with  scarlet  fever. 
I  don't  know  what  I  should  do  if  the  child  has  it." 

"  Deary  me !  'twill  be  a  bad  job  !  Has  the  little  Miss 
been  playin'  with  any  of  them  ?  " 

"  No,  I  never  let  her.  But  you  know  what  a  child 
she  is  !  She  passed  little  Bessie  Cooper,  who  was  sitting 
crying  on  the  door  step,  and  she  held  out  her  doll  for 
her  to  kiss.  '  There,'  she  said, l  Beautiful  wants  to  com- 
fort you,  because  she  never  likes  to  see  chillen  crying.' 
Little  Bessie  dried  her  tears  but  smothered  her  doll  with 
caresses,  and  her  mother  says  she  was  sickening  for  the 
fever  then.  She  is  very  bad  with  it  now.  I  only  heard 
it  this  afternoon." 

The  doctor  came,  and  there  was  soon  no  doubt  that 
Ida  had  caught  the  fever.  Olive  at  once  moved  with 
her  into  a  top  attic  away  from  the  rest  of  the  house,  and 
established  herself  there  as  nurse. 

Fortunately  the  child  had  it  lightly,  but  she  was  a 
restless  excitable  little  patient,  and  her  one  cry  was  for 
Beautiful.  She  cried  because  the  doctor  would  not  feel 
her  pulse  one  morning.  "  Beautiful  is  very  ill ;  quite  so 
bad  as  me,  and  he's  a  nasty  man !  "  Olive  humoured 
her  as  much  as  possible,  but  it  was  an  anxious  wearing 
time.  The  Marches  were  very  good  about  it,  and  took 
the  whole  matter  in  a  cheerful  spirit,  which  was  a  great 
relief  to  Olive  who  felt  the  difficulties  attending  such 
an  infectious  illness.  The  days  seemed  to  pass  slowly, 
and  though  the  sick  child  engrossed  much  of  her  time 
and  thoughts,  there  were  many  hours  of  tedious  watch- 
ing when  Olive  longed  for  the  companionship  of  Os- 
mond. She  did  not  go  near  him,  and  only  escaped  into 
the  garden  for  a  breath  of  air  at  rare  intervals.  But  news- 


NURSING  233 


papers  and  letters  she  received  with  pleasure,  and  she 
sent  a  daily  account  of  the  little  patient  to  her  parents 
abroad.  Of  course  her  thoughts  were  much  in  South 
Africa.  Colonel  Holmes  at  last  obtained  his  wish  and 
took  his  regiment  off  to  the  Front.  It  was  in  the  sick 
room  that  Olive  heard  of  the  fierce  attack  on  Ladysmith 
by  the  Boers,  and  of  the  desperate  fighting  on  Waggon 
Hill,  also  of  General  Buller's  second  attempt  to  relieve 
that  besieged  town,  and  of  the  terrible  losses  at  Spion 
Kop.  Eddie  was  again  in  the  thick  of  it,  but  escaped 
without  a  scratch,  and  his  telegram  assuring  his  family 
of  his  safety  was  received  with  thankfulness  by  Olive. 
Muriel  wrote  her  long  chatty  letters,  and  by  the  end  of 
January,  Ida  had  left  her  bed,  and  was  considered  con- 
valescent, so  that  Olive  began  to  breathe  more  freely. 
She  felt  the  responsibility  of  her  charge  more  than  she 
would  allow,  and  the  strain  had  been  great  for  a  time. 

"  Do  birds  catch  scarlet  fever  ?  " 

It  was  Ida  who  spoke,  and  she  was  sitting  up  in  a  big 
chair  at  the  sunny  attic  window.  Her  little  face  looked 
white  and  thin,  her  thick  curls  were  shorn  to  half  their 
former  length,  and  Beautiful  alone  seemed  to  have  passed 
through  the  fever  unchanged  by  its  ravages.  She  lay  on 
her  mistress's  lap  as  limp  and  imperturbable  as  ever. 

It  was  the  first  week  of  convalescence.  Olive  was 
on  her  knees  by  the  fire  toasting  some  bread.  She  now 
came  across  with  a  tempting  little  tray  of  chicken  broth. 
Ida  glanced  at  it  rather  disdainfully.  She  was  inclined 
to  be  fractious. 

"  I  don't  like  that,"  she  said. 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  will  if  you  taste  it.  I  don't  think 
birds  catch  scarlet  fever.  Why  ?  " 


234  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  Because  a  little  robin  has  been  looking  at  me  through 
the  glass.  I  told  him  he  hadn't  better  come  so  close. 
Who  nurses  robins  when  they're  ill  ? " 

"  If  you  drink  your  broth,  I  will  tell  you  a  story  of  a 
little  robin  who  was  nursed  by  Dr.  Rook." 

The  story  and  the  broth  were  being  received  with 
great  content  when  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door,  and 
some  letters  were  pushed  underneath.  Olive  took  hers, 
one  of  which  was  from  Eddie.  She  had  not  heard  of 
him  for  some  time,  and  she  was  eager  to  hear  his  news. 
But  the  story  had  to  be  finished  first,  and  the  little 
invalid  comfortably  settled  with  a  picture-book  before 
she  was  at  liberty  to  sit  down  and  enjoy  her  letters. 

Eddie's  was  written  in  camp,  and  was  a  month  old  : 

DEAR  OLIVE, 

At  last  I  have  a  quiet  half-hour,  and  can  let  you  know 
that  I  am  alive  and  well  after  that  terrible  experience  at  Colenso. 
I  would  rather  not  write  about  it.  You  will  see  the  sickening  horrors 
piled  on  in  the  papers  I  expect.  We  have  been  resting  since,  and  are 
nearly  ready  for  another  try.  I  must  tell  you  of  an  unpleasant  experi- 
ence that  I  had  with  the  enemy  yesterday.  I  had  rather  an  exciting 
time  of  it.  I  had  to  carry  some  despatches  from  the  General  to  Colo- 
nel J ,  who  was  out  on  a  reconnaissance  about  ten  miles  down 

the  river.  I  attached  myself  to  some  colonial  scouts  who  were  joining 
him,  and  we  found  the  colonel's  force  in  the  thick  of  the  skirmish  with 
the  enemy.  Though  bullets  were  flying  pretty  freely,  I  delivered  my 
despatches  without  a  scratch.  It  was  on  my  return  I  was  nearly  done 
for.  I  took  advantage  of  some  brushwood  to  skirt  round  in  the 
enemy's  rear,  but  when  I  came  out  in  the  open  I  was  spotted  by  a 
small  party  of  scouts,  and  they  instantly  gave  chase.  Even  then  I 
think  I  should  have  distanced  them  easily,  but  suddenly  thundering 
past  me  came  a  runaway  horse.  It  was  Mason,  who  is  major  of  the 

Hussars.     His  horse  had  been  wounded  in  the  thigh,  and  was 

simply  mad  with  terror.  I  saw  he  couldn't  pull  up,  and  galloped  on 
abreast  with  him,  thinking  we  would  come  into  our  camp  together. 
And  then  his  horse  bucked  and  threw  him.  I  thought  we  were  lost ; 


NURSING  235 


I  reined  up,  dismounted,  and  with  difficulty  got  him  up  behind  me, 
for  he  had  broken  his  right  leg  below  the  kneecap.  The  enemy  were 
within  a  few  yards  of  us  now,  and  bullets  were  whistling  by.  I  heard 
the  thundering  of  a  horse  behind  me,  and  I  thought  the  next  thing 
would  be  a  bullet  in  poor  Mason's  back,  so  I  wheeled  round  like 
lightning,  levelled  my  rifle,  and  shot  our  pursuer.  He  fell  like  a 
stone  out  of  his  saddle,  and  we  tore  on.  When  we  reached  camp  a 
bullet  was  found  in  my  saddle,  another  had  carried  off  the  heel  of  my 
right  boot,  and  Mason's  helmet  had  three  holes  in  it.  Yet  neither  of 
us  had  a  scratch.  I  was  congratulated  by  the  General  on  my  lucky 
escape.  I  went  to  see  Mason  an  hour  or  two  after.  His  leg  had  just 
been  set.  He  made  me  look  rather  foolish  by  the  rot  he  talked,  but 
he  added  (and  this  for  your  benefit !) :  "I  hear  you  are  one  of  the  reli- 
gious sort,  so  I  suppose  you  don't  believe  in  luck."  I  said  "  I  pre- 
ferred to  consider  myself  in  God's  keeping."  "  Well,"  he  said,  "  I 
wish  I  were  in  the  same  boat."  So  I  sat  down  and  gave  him  my 
experience,  and  I  did  what  I  never  thought  I  could  have  done.  I 
gave  him  your  letter  to  read ;  you  know  which  one.  He  asked  me 
this  morning  if  he  might  keep  it  a  bit  longer.  I  knew  you  wouldn't 
mind  ;  he  is  very  struck  with  it.  I  am  kept  pretty  busy,  and  feel  like 
an  orderly,  but  it's  grand  to  be  free  from  all  my  old  temptations.  We 
have  so  much  to  do  and  think  of  here  that  idle  moments  are  few.  I 
hope  our  next  try  at  Ladysmith  will  be  a  success.  His  Grace  must 
be  longing  to  be  out.  I  suppose  you  haven't  heard  anything  of  him 
for  an  age.  Communication  is  difficult,  and  the  Boers  are  massed  be- 
tween us  and  them.  Tell  Giles'  mother  her  son  is  very  fit.  His 
devotion  to  his  master  is  a  joke  out  here !  He  sat  down  and  cried 
because  I  wouldn't  let  him  come  with  me  yesterday.  My  respects  to 
Diogenes.  Do  you  think  if  I  got  half  a  dozen  V.  C.'s  and  an  empty 
coat  sleeve  (it  must  be  the  left,  for  a  hero  is  never  awkward !)  that  Dot 
would  look  at  me  ?  Good-bye.  They  say  this  will  be  a  long  affair, 
so  don't  expect  me  home  just  yet.  I  can  tell  you  the  sights  of  a  battle- 
field sober  the  wildest  chaps  out  here. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

ED. 

Olive's  eyes  were  moist  with  tears  as  she  finished 
this.  She  thought  of  her  gay  reckless  young  brother 
flinging  away  his  money  right  and  left ;  a  constant  and 


236  OLIVE   TRACY 

increasing  source  of  anxiety  to  all  his  family;  and  now 
the  same  gay  bright  spirit,  but  deepened  and  softened 
by  unseen  influence ;  as  brave  and  courageous  as  he  had 
been,  but  equally  ready  to  meet  death,  or  to  help  a 
comrade  on  the  way  to  heaven. 

No  fears  now  for  him,  only  happy  assurance  that  he 
was  in  the  keeping  of  One  who  would  keep  him  "  against 
that  day." 

And  then  Ida's  plaintive  voice  brought  her  back  to  the 
sick  room. 

"  Beautiful  is  tired  ;  her  back  hurts,  and  she  thinks  she 
would  like  her  hair  cut.  May  I  have  the  scissors  ?  " 

Olive  bent  down  and  kissed  the  white  little  face.  "  I 
shouldn't  cut  her  hair,  she  has  only  one  little  tuft  left, 
and  it  will  never  grow  again." 

"  Beautiful  and  me  is  tired.  We've  had  nothing  to  do 
all  day.  Supposing  I  had  died  and  gone  to  heaven  where 
would  Beautiful  have  gone  ?  " 

Olive  could  hardly  reply  to  this  question,  but  Ida  in- 
sisted on  an  answer. 

"  I  think  I  would  have  wrapped  her  up  in  a  white  silk 
handkerchief,  and  put  her  in  a  drawer,"  said  Olive  at 
length. 

"  And  not  put  her  in  a  proper  grave  in  the  church- 
yard ?  " 

"  No,  perhaps  some  sick  little  girl  might  have  been 
glad  to  have  her." 

"  She  shan't  have  her,  she  shan't !  Beautiful  belongs 
to  me  for  ever  and  ever,  and  I  shan't  die  if  she  can't  die 
with  me." 

"  I  think  God  has  been  so  good  as  to  spare  your  life, 
darling,  because  He  wants  you  to  grow  up  and  be  a  use- 


NURSING  237 


ful  little  servant  of  His.  You  must  try  and  be  very  good, 
and  thank  Him  for  all  the  care  He  has  taken  of  you  since 
you  have  been  ill." 

"  I  think  p'raps  I'd  better  have  gone  to  heaven,"  said 
Ida  reflectively.  "  I  shouldn't  be  kept  in  one  room  there 
and  not  allowed  to  open  the  window  a  tiny  bit,  or  do 
anything  I  wanted  to  !  " 

Olive  wisely  ignored  this  remark. 

"  I  will  tell  you  a  secret,"  she  said,  taking  the  child 
into  her  lap.  "  Do  you  know  why  I  am  feeding  you  up 
and  taking  such  care  of  you  ? " 

"  No,  why  ?  " 

"  Because  directly  you  get  a  little  bit  strong,  I  am 
going  to  take  you  right  away  to  the  seaside.  A  nice  lit- 
tle warm  sunny  place,  where  you  can  play  about  on  the 
sands.  I  have  written  to  a  friend  of  Mrs.  March's  who 
has  rooms  to  let,  and  she  is  getting  them  ready  for  us. 
We  shall  have  a  nice  bow  window  looking  out  on  the 
sea,  where  we  shall  see  all  the  ships  go  by.  And  if  you 
take  your  medicines  well,  and  don't  fret,  I  think  we  may 
be  able  to  go  next  week." 

Ida's  cheeks  got  pink  with  excitement. 

Such  news  made  her  forget  her  weariness  and  discon- 
tent, and  for  the  next  few  days  her  whole  mind  and 
thoughts  were  on  the  coming  visit. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

"  TELL  ME  YOU  ARE  GLAD  TO  SEE  ME  !  " 

I  must  not  think  of  thee ;  and,  tired  yet  strong, 

I  shun  the  love  that  lurks  in  all  delight  — 

The  love  of  thee — and  in  the  blue  heaven's  height 

And  in  the  dearest  passage  of  a  song. 

Oh  just  beyond  the  sweetest  thoughts  that  throng 

This  breast,  the  thought  of  thee  waits  hidden  yet  bright ; 

But  it  must  never,  never  come  in  sight ; 

I  must  stop  short  of  thee  the  whole  day  long. 

— Alice  Meynell. 

THEY  went  away  to  the  sea,  and  Ida  rapidly  gained 
strength.  At  times,  and  especially  when  the  child  was 
in  bed  at  night,  a  fit  of  loneliness  would  come  over  Olive. 
She  fought  against  it  bravely,  and  filled  up  her  time  by 
working  for  the  soldiers  at  the  Front.  Even  Ida  was  in- 
duced to  knit  some  caps,  and  it  was  a  great  triumph  to 
get  any  work  done  by  those  restless  little  fingers. 

Osmond  brightened  their  life  by  his  amusing  letters, 
which  arrived  every  two  or  three  days,  giving  details  of 
the  farm  and  village  life  which  Olive  had  now  learnt  to 
love  so  well.  And  Mrs.  Hunt  wrote  continually.  Mr. 
Hunt  was  much  better,  and  they  were  already  looking 
forward  to  their  return.  They  were  anxious  about  their 
child's  illness,  but  Olive  still  wrote  every  three  or  four 
days  with  an  account  of  her.  Mrs.  Hunt's  letters  were 
very  characteristic,  amusing  and  frank ;  with  a  touch  of 
that  freshness  in  thought  and  feeling  that  was  so  attract- 
ive to  Olive. 

238 


"TELL  ME  YOU  ARE  GLAD!"        239 

"  I  am  coming  home  with  fresh  resolves  and  vows  to 
attend  to  my  husband  more  and  my  parish  less,"  she 
wrote.  "  I  have  been  schooled  this  winter  in  woman's 
true  vocation,  and  I  am  developing  into  a  regular  stay-at- 
home — but  oh,  how  I  hate  it !  And  if  my  husband's  opin- 
ion were  asked,  he  would  say  he  hated  it  too.  When  he 
was  really  ill,  he  appreciated  my  devotion ;  now  he  is 
nearly  well,  my  constant  presence  distracts  and  irritates 
him.  *  My  dear,  won't  you  go  out  ? '  he  says  appeal- 
ingly.  *I  daren't,'  I  say  with  a  sigh.  'That  good  Ger- 
man lady  on  the  next  floor  met  me  yesterday,  and  con- 
demned the  whole  English  race  of  wives  for  being  heart- 
less gad-abouts  with  no  idea  of  cooking,  and  a  supreme 
indifference  to  their  husband's  comfort  and  happiness.' 
This  said  German  matron  keeps  a  lynx  eye  on  all  my 
actions  and  words.  I  begin  to  think  sometimes  that  per- 
haps if  one  has  a  bullying  nature,  it  is  better  to  bully 
outside  the  home,  than  in  it.  I  said  something  of  this 
sort  to  her,  and  she  threw  up  her  fat  hands  like  a  French- 
woman. c  Ach  !  what  a  misfortune  for  the  poor  man  ! 
His  home  a  house  of  peace  only  when  it  is  emptied  of 
his  wife  ! '  So  you  see  there  are  two  sides  to  the  ques- 
tion. I  hope  our  chick  is  not  wearing  you  out.  Can 
you  instil  into  her  small  mind  that  she  must  grow  up  and 
cover  her  mother's  delinquencies  ?  What  battles  royal 
we  should  have  had  together  if  I  had  been  her  nurse. 
Dear  mite,  if  I  were  more  patient  a  mother  I  know  I 
could  do  more  with  her.  But  as  I  tell  you,  I  am  coming 
back  with  a  host  of  good  resolutions  to  be  put  into  prac- 
tice!" 

With  such  letters  as  these  to  read  and  answer,  Olive 
got  through  her  days.  And  as  Ida  improved  in  health 


24o  OLIVE   TRACY 

and  spirits,  she  soon  found  her  time  fully  occupied  in 
curbing  a  little  of  that  small  maiden's  energy.  The  war 
news  brought  fresh  anxiety  day  by  day,  but  the  arrival 
of  Lord  Roberts  raised  her  spirits,  as  indeed  it  did  of  all. 

It  was  on  the  very  day  that  Kimberley  was  relieved 
that  Olive  and  Ida  returned  to  the  Farm.  The  beds  in 
the  front  garden  were  full  of  crocuses  and  snowdrops, 
and  the  Marches  all  came  to  the  door  to  greet  them. 

Osmond  received  them  with  delight,  and  compli- 
mented them  both  on  their  improved  looks. 

"  Beautiful  and  me  is  quite  well  again,"  said  Ida  with 
a  beaming  face,  "  and  we  shall  be  quite  naughty  again 
I'm  afraid,  for  it's  only  sick  people  that  are  good  ! " 

u  I  think  a  little  girl  forgets  how  impatient  and  fretful 
she  was  when  she  was  too  ill  to  go  out." 

"Ah,"  said  Ida  unbashed;  "but  that  wasn't  real 
naughtiness,  like  wading  in  the  pond  and  chasing  the 
ducks,  or  driving  the  pigs  into  the  kitchen,  or  locking 
old  Stephen  up  in  the  belfry  when  he's  ringing  the  bells, 
that's  what  Beautiful  and  me  is  afraid  of  doing  again  !  " 

"  We  must  begin  lessons  at  once  then  to  guard  against 
such  a  possibility,"  said  Olive. 

Ida  look  thoughtful,  and  said  no  more. 

"  And  now,  Diogenes,  tell  me  all  the  news,"  said 
Olive  that  evening  after  Ida  had  been  put  to  bed.  "  You 
don't  know  how  good  it  feels  to  be  back  here  again,  and 
have  you  to  talk  to.  I  don't  think  I  should  do  to  live 
alone.  I  am  too  fond  of  talking  !  " 

"  What  can  I  tell  you  ?  Dot  has  been  over  to  visit 
me  in  my  solitude.  I  often  wonder  if  anything  will 
come  of  Eddie's  devotion  to  her.  She  is  so  intensely 
anxious  and  interested  about  him  now." 


"TELL  ME  YOU  ARE  GLAD!"        241 

"  She  is  too  fond  of  her  father  to  leave  him.  How  is 
Sir  Marmaduke  3  " 

"  Fairly  well,  but  very  anxious  about  his  Grace. 
They  have  heard  nothing  of  him  since  you  have  been  away. 
1  No  news  is  good  news.'  I  am  hoping  he  is  quite  conva- 
lescent by  this  time.  Isn't  it  good  about  Kimberley  ?  " 

"  Yes,  if  only  Ladysmith  could  be  the  next  to  be  re- 
lieved." 

"  Perhaps  it  will  be.  Duller  won't  be  beaten.  He  is 
just  advancing  for  the  fourth  time  !  " 

"  Don't  let  us  talk  of  the  war  now.  How  are  the 
villagers  ?  " 

"  Mrs.  Giles  is  still  the  centre  of  attraction.  She  got 
a  long  letter  from  her  son  last  week  ;  Miss  March  came 
in  and  told  me  all  about  it.  The  postman  told  her.  He 
said  the  postmaster  had  sent  word  to  Mrs.  Giles  to  come 
to  get  it,  as  he  couldn't  spare  any  one  to  take  it  to  her, 
she  being  out  of  the  postman's  beat.  Rather  Irish 
wasn't  it  ?  Miss  March  straightway  seized  hold  of  her 
bonnet  and  tore  off  to  the  village.  The  poor  little 
widow  had  to  read  it  out  loud  to  an  admiring  throng. 
The  post-office  was  crowded,  and  there  was  quite  a 
scene.  I  was  told  it  was  a  *  beautiful  letter,'  and  made 
all  the  women  cry  at  the  account  of  the  soldiers'  suffer- 
ings. Mrs.  Giles  was  quite  overcome,  and  walked  back 
to  her  cottage  leaning  on  the  arms  of  Miss  March  and 
the  sexton ! " 

Olive  smiled,  then  sighed. 

"  We  always  come  back  to  the  war.  Have  you  heard 
of  Mrs.  Crofton  at  all  ?  " 

"  Nothing  particular.  She  is  cool  and  composed,  and 
is  much  occupied  with  the  agent — improving  the  estate." 


242  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  And  Vinny  and  Elsie  ?  " 

"  Still  in  town.     You  must  have  heard  from  them  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Vinny  has  written  once  or  twice.  Not  Elsie. 
She  seems  entirely  engrossed  with  gaiety  at  present." 

They  talked  on,  and  Olive  laid  her  head  on  her  pillow 
that  night  with  great  content  at  being  back  again. 

The  next  fortnight  was  an  exciting  one,  culminating 
with  the  relief  of  Lady  smith.  Two  days  after,  Olive 
received  a  telegram  from  Eddie. 

"  Duke  nearly  convalescent.     Have  seen  him." 

And  the  same  day  brought  a  similar  message  to  Sir 
Marmaduke  from  Duke  himself. 

"  Now  he  will  be  coming  home,"  said  Osmond  in 
delight. 

"  If  he  is  quite  well,  perhaps  he  will  not  be  able  to  get 
leave,"  said  Olive  dubiously. 

And  this  was  the  view  that  Cora  took,  when  Olive 
went  over  to  see  her.  She  looked  anxious  and  rather 
haggard,  Olive  thought,  and  still  seemed  almost  averse 
to  the  idea  of  Duke's  return. 

"  He  says  nothing  of  returning  in  his  telegram,"  she 
said.  "  I  suppose  we  shall  have  a  letter  soon  which  will 
tell  us  of  his  intentions." 

And  so  they  waited  on,  and  Olive  tried  to  banish  him 
from  her  thoughts.  It  was  spring  again  now,  and  the 
old  Farm  was  full  of  the  sweet  scents  of  the  primroses 
and  hyacinths  that  bordered  the  flower  beds.  Ida 
danced  in  and  out  of  the  house  with  her  hands  full  of 
flowers.  She  was  the  sunshine  of  the  Farm,  and,  in 
spite  of  all  her  pranks  and  mischief,  occupied  a  large 
place  in  the  Marches'  affections. 

Lessons  went  on  regularly,  and  the  little  girl  was  cer- 


"  TELL  ME  YOU  ARE  GLAD  !  "        243 

tainly  far  more  tractable  and  amenable  to  discipline  than 
she  had  been  a  few  months  previously. 

One  day  Olive  went  over  to  lunch  with  Muriel,  and 
early  in  the  afternoon  she  left  the  Manor  and  went  over 
to  Crofton  Court.  Cora  was  out,  but  she  went  up  and 
sat  with  Sir  Marmaduke  and  tried  to  cheer  him  up. 
She  found  him  depressed  in  spirits,  with  the  same  old  cry  : 

"When  will  Duke  come  home  !  " 

"You  may  hear  very  soon  from  him,"  said  Olive 
cheerily ;  "  isn't  it  a  great  relief  to  think  that  he  is  free 
at  last,  and  that  dreadful  siege  is  over  ?  " 

"Oh  yes,  yes,  but  why  doesn't  he  come  home? 
Everything  is  going  wrong  as  I  keep  telling  you.  Cora 
takes  too  much  upon  herself.  Women  always  make 
mistakes  if  they  try  to  do  men's  business.  My  dear  wife 
was  of  course  an  exception  to  the  rule.  But  Cora — 
well,  my  dear  Olive — she  wants  her  husband  to  manage 
her — and  that's  the  fact !  I  am  a  poor  old  man  bereft 
of  both  my  sons.  Mark  might  as  well  be  dead  and 
buried  for  all  the  good  he  is  to  me  !  I  never  hear  of 
him.  And  Duke  prefers  the  excitement  of  battle  to 
looking  after  his  lonely  father." 

"  Now  I  will  not  let  you  talk  so,"  said  Olive.  "  Let 
us  change  the  subject."  She  was  making  him  laugh  at 
some  of  Ida's  queer  sayings,  when  she  heard  a  carriage 
drive  up,  and  a  little  bustle  in  the  hall.  Thinking  it  was 
Cora  who  had  returned  from  some  visits,  she  went  on 
talking  ;  but  in  a  few  minutes  the  door  of  the  room 
opened,  and  Triggs,  tremulous  with  emotion,  ushered  in 
Duke  himself.  He  looked  gaunt  and  feeble,  and  yet  the 
light  in  his  eyes,  as  he  advanced,  brought  a  thrill  to 
Olive's  heart. 


244  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  Well,  father,  I  have  taken  you  by  surprise  !  And 
Olive  here  too !  It  seems  good  to  have  such  a  wel- 
come." 

Sir  Marmaduke  placed  both  his  trembling  hands  on 
his  son's  broad  shoulders  as  he  stooped  over  him,  and 
Olive  was  surprised  at  his  composure. 

"  I  have  been  expecting  you  every  day  for  months," 
he  said.  "  You  must  never  leave  me  again,  lad  !  " 

Then  Duke  turned  to  Olive.  The  sudden  shock  of 
seeing  him  once  again  standing  there,  with  just  the  same 
old  smile  and  earnest  gaze,  was  almost  too  much  for 
her.  The  colour  ebbed  away  from  her  cheeks  and  lips, 
and  when  he  took  her  hand  in  his  it  was  cold  and 
trembling. 

"Tell  me  you  are  glad  to  see  me  again,  Olive,"  he 
said,  and  she  felt  the  deep  tenderness  underlying  his 
simple  words.  For  a  moment  she  hesitated,  and  then, 
with  a  little  queenly  gesture  of  her  head,  she  drew  her 
hand  away  from  his. 

"  I  am  always  glad  to  see  old  friends  again,"  she  said 
gravely.  "  I  am  only  sorry  that  Cora  is  not  here  to 
welcome  you."  Then,  turning  to  the  window,  she 
looked  out,  fancying  she  heard  Cora's  return. 

Duke  sat  down  by  his  father's  side  a  little  heavily. 
"You  have  found  Cora  a  comfort  to  you,  father,  have 
you  not  ?  "  he  said. 

".Yes,  yes — she  is  a  capable  woman,"  Sir  Marmaduke 
said  a  little  impatiently.  "  How  are  you,  my  boy  ?  Are 
your  wounds  healed  ?  " 

"  Very  nearly.  The  voyage  did  wonders  for  me. 
But  I  feel  rather  a  rag  at  times.  You  are  looking  fairly 
well  yourself." 


"TELL  ME  YOU  ARE  GLAD!"        245 

"  Oh,  I  am  just  the  same,  neither  better  nor  worse. 
A  useless  old  log  !  The  good  has  been  taken,  the  bad 
left !  " 

"  Poor  dear  mother,"  said  Duke  under  his  breath;  "  it 
is  a  sad  home-coming  to  me  ! " 

Olive  felt  she  would  be  better  away,  and  was  just 
slipping  out  of  the  room,  when  Sir  Marmaduke  called 
her  back. 

"  Don't  go,  my  dear,  stay,  till  Cora  comes  in,  and  have 
some  tea.  You  and  Duke  were  always  such  friends, 
that  you  will  like  to  hear  about  his  adventures." 

"  I  think  Cora  has  just  come  in,"  replied  Olive. 
"  Here  she  is !  "  Cora  entered  the  room  in  gay 
spirits. 

Triggs  was  too  busy  telling  the  news  of  the  captain's 
return  to  the  rest  of  the  household  to  be  in  his  usual 
place,  and  she  came  up  to  Sir  Marmaduke  in  perfect  ig- 
norance of  Duke's  arrival. 

But  when  she  caught  sight  of  Duke,  even  Olive  was 
startled  by  the  terror  depicted  in  her  face. 

Duke  himself  stepped  forward  smiling. 

"  Well,  Cora,  here  I  am  at  last.  Why,  you  look  as 
if  I  were  an  apparition  !  What  is  the  matter  ? " 

Cora  gasped  for  self-control,  then  impulsively  laid  her 
hand  on  his  arm. 

"  I  want  to  speak  to  you  alone — at  once  !     Come." 

She  drew  him  out  of  the  room  after  her,  before  any 
one  could  speak,  and  Sir  Marmaduke  looked  with 
puzzled  eyes  at  Olive. 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  her  ?  Why  has  she  taken 
Duke  away?  I  want  him,"  he  said  querulously. 

"  It   is   natural   they  should    like  to  meet  alone,"  said 


246  OLIVE   TRACY 

Olive  soothingly.  "  You  will  be  happy  now  he  is  home, 
will  you  not  ?  " 

But  as  she  talked,  she  was  wondering  how  it  was  that 
Cora  met  her  husband  with  so  little  joy  and  affection ; 
why  his  sudden  advent  seemed  to  inspire  her  with  such 
terror.  She  herself  was  longing  to  be  away,  and  she 
made  a  movement  to  go,  but  Sir  Marmaduke  would  not 
hear  of  it. 

"  Stay  till  Duke  comes  baqk,"  he  begged  her.  "  You 
are  all  wanting  to  leave  me,  why  doesn't  he  come  ? 
What  is  Cora  doing  ?  " 

It  needed  all  Olive's  tact  and  persuasion  to  prevent 
the  old  man  from  violently  ringing  his  bell  and  summon- 
ing them  to  his  presence. 

As  time  went  on,  and  still  Duke  did  not  appear,  Olive 
felt  quite  uncomfortable.  She  did  not  want  him  to  find 
her  still  there  when  he  came  back;  it  was  getting  late, 
and  she  knew  Osmond  was  expecting  her  by  the  six 
o'clock  train. 

At  last,  to  her  intense  relief,  she  heard  his  step  in  the 
passage,  and  she  rose  to  go  as  he  entered  the  room. 

"What  a  long  time  you  have  been,"  Sir  Marmaduke 
exclaimed ;  "  I  have  hardly  seen  you  for  five  minutes 
yet.  You  will  have  plenty  of  time  to  talk  to  your  wife 
by-and-by." 

"  I  am  sorry,  father." 

Duke  spoke  and  looked  like  a  man  in  a  dream.  He 
seemed  stunned,  bewildered,  and  unconscious  of  Olive's 
presence. 

11  Good-bye,  Sir  Marmaduke,  I  can  leave  you  in  good 
hands  now,"  said  Olive  cheerfully. 

Then  Duke  moved  towards  the  door  and  held  it  open 


"  TELL  ME  YOU  ARE  GLAD  !  "        247 

for  her,  but  his  eyes  avoided  hers,  and  when  she  held 
out  her  hand  he  hardly  touched  it.  She  felt  him  give  a 
quick  sigh  of  relief  as  she  passed  out. 

Olive  echoed  that  sigh  as  she  left  the  house,  and  she 
wished  that  she  had  not  been  led  that  way  that  afternoon. 

When  she  came  back  to  Osmond,  she  told  him  the  news 
with  quiet  gravity. 

"I  wonder,"  he  said,  "  if  Duke  will  make  his  way 
over  here.  I  long  to  see  him  and  hear  about  his  expe- 
riences." 

"  I  think  he  will  have  his  hands  full  at  home  for  some 
time  yet.  Sir  Marmaduke  hopes  he  will  look  over 
everything." 

"  Did  you  hear  anything  about  Mark  ?  Does  Duke 
know  whether  he  is  at  home  or  abroad  ?  And  Eddie 
too,  did  he  tell  you  of  the  meeting  between  them  ? " 

"  I  heard  nothing.  I  did  not  stay,  for  I  was  not 
needed." 

Osmond  glanced  at  Olive.  Her  face  was  quite 
cheerful,  and  she  spoke  in  the  most  matter-of-fact  tone. 
He  could  only  conclude  that  Duke's  arrival  was  not  a 
matter  of  importance  to  her.  He  himself  longed  to  see 
him,  for  Duke  was  the  only  friend  he  possessed,  and  he 
had  missed  him  sorely. 

He  little  knew  that  upstairs  Olive  was  pacing  her 
room  with  clenched  hands  and  strained  face. 

"I  must  not,  will  not  think  of  him.  Oh  Duke,  I 
wish  I  had  never  known  you  !  To  be  in  the  same  room 
with  you  now  is  torture.  May  God  help  me  to  wean 
you  from  my  thoughts." 


CHAPTER  XXII 

BAD    NEWS 

III  news  hath  wings,  and  with  the  wind  doth  go. 

— Drayton. 

THE  next  morning,  between  eleven  and  twelve,  as 
Olive  was  in  the  midst  of  lessons  with  her  small  pupil, 
she  was  surprised  by  a  visit  from  Muriel. 

She  was  riding,  and  was,  she  said,  supposed  to  be  out 
hunting  with  her  father ;  but  she  had  left  him  and  ridden 
off  by  herself  to  the  Farm. 

"  I  was  only  four  miles  off,  so  I  couldn't  resist  com- 
ing to  you.  If  you  will  have  me  to  lunch,  father  will 
send  a  groom  for  me  about  three  o'clock." 

"We  shall  be  very  pleased,"  piped  out  Ida;  "because 
there'll  be  no  lessons,  and  Beautiful  and  me  wants  to  do 
some  washing." 

"  Go  along,  you  monkey,"  said  Olive,  shutting  up  the 
lesson  books  and  drawing  a  chair  near  the  fire  for  her 
guest. 

Muriel  looked  strangely  excited,  and  directly  Ida  had 
scampered  away  she  turned  to  Olive  eagerly. 

"  Have  you  heard  ?  " 

"  What  ? " 

"  Have  you  heard  nothing  from  Crofton  Court  ?  " 

"Oh,  you  mean  Duke's  return.  Yes,  I  was  there 
yesterday  when  he  appeared  and  took  us  by  surprise." 

"My  dear  Olive,  I  feel  like  any  old  scandal -monger. 
Where  is  Diogenes  ?  " 

248 


BAD  NEWS  249 


"  In  his  room,  he  always  leaves  us  free  at  lesson  time, 
and  I  think  it  is  better.  Do  you  want  him  ?  " 

"  Oh  no,  I  would  rather  tell  you  first  alone,  though 
after  all,  the  whole  place  is  ringing  with  it.  You  know 
what  servants  are  ?  " 

"  Oh  Dot,  don't  keep  me  in  suspense.  What  has 
happened  ? " 

"  Mrs.  Crofton  has  gone  off  with  that  agent,  Mr. 
Mordaunt." 

"  Never  !  oh  I  cannot  believe  it !  " 

Olive  stared  at  Muriel  absolutely  incredulous. 

"  It  is  only  too  true,  I'm  afraid,"  said  Muriel.  "  Isn't 
it  awful !  I  cried  for  nearly  an  hour  this  morning  when 
I  heard  it.  For  Duke  is  such  a  splendid  fellow,  and  to 
think,  when  he  comes  home  sick  and  wounded,  that  this 
should  be  his  reception.  Oh,  how  could  she,  how  could 
she  do  it !  " 

"  How  did  you  hear  ?  " 

"  Father  saw  them  himself.  He  had  come  down  from 
town  late  last  night.  It  was  about  ten  o'clock.  He  was 
talking  to  the  stationmaster  about  something,  when  he 
saw  Mrs.  Crofton,  carrying  a  handbag,  hurriedly  get  into 
the  up  train  to  London,  and  Mr.  Mordaunt  follow  her,  a 
porter  putting  a  portmanteau  into  their  carriage.  Father 
came  straight  home  and  told  me,  and  he  said  he  wasn't  a 
bit  surprised  :  he  had  been  expecting  it  a  long  time,  for 
they  have  been  so  much  together." 

"But,"  said  Olive  gasping,  "  she's  a  married  woman  ! 
She  is  Duke's  wife !  " 

"  Yes,  I  was  furious  with  father  for  hinting  at  such 
a  thing,  but  the  first  thing  we  heard  this  morning  was 
that  Mrs.  Crofton  had  disappeared,  and  no  one  knew 


250  OLIVE   TRACY 

where  she  was.  Of  course  the  news  came  through  one 
of  our  grooms,  but  he  had  met  Triggs,  and  he  told  him 
that  the  upset  at  the  Court  was  dreadful,  for  the  agent 
had  decamped  too.  I  can  hardly  believe  it,  can  you  ? " 

"  No,"  said  Olive  emphatically.  "  I  won't  until  there 
is  further  proof  of  her  intentions.  It  may  have  been  an 
accidental  meeting  at  the  station." 

"  I  wish  I  could  think  so  !  " 

u  Oh,  it  is  too  dreadful,  Dot !  I  should  think  it  would 
kill  Duke !  And  poor  old  Sir  Marmaduke  !  " 

u  Did  you  see  Mrs.  Crofton  yesterday  ?  " 

Olive  gave  an  account  of  her  visit.  Muriel  listened 
thoughtfully. 

"I  wonder  what  she  said  to  him.  It  is  all  most 
mysterious.  She  seemed  more  terrified  than  pleased  at 
his  appearance  ? " 

"  Yes,  I  thought  so." 

"  Isn't  it  strange  that  Duke  should  have  married  such 
a  woman  ?  I  have  never  liked  her,  as  you  know.  But 
I  do  feel  so  sorry  for  him." 

"What  an  awful  scandal  it  will  make  in  Blacken- 
bury  !  I  can't  help  hoping  there  may  be  some  expla- 
nation." 

"  Father  felt  inclined  to  go  straight  off  to  the  Court, 
and  then  he  thought  it  would  be  better  not ;  at  all  events 
not  till  we  hear  the  news  from  them." 

Olive  seemed  almost  stunned  by  such  tidings.  She 
roused  herself  at  last,  and  gave  orders  for  lunch  to  be 
brought  in  without  delay.  Then  Osmond  appeared  and 
they  could  not  keep  him  long  in  ignorance  of  what  had 
happened,  for  he  saw  at  once  by  their  sober  faces,  that 
there  was  some  bad  news. 


BAD  NEWS  251 


He  was,  like  Olive,  incredulous  at  first ;  and  then  he 
sighed  heavily  as  he  thought  of  his  friend,  and  of  what 
this  would  mean  to  him. 

"  Well,"  said  Olive  after  they  had  discussed  it  for 
some  time ;  "  let  us  leave  the  subject  now.  It  is  bad 
enough,  and  we  shall  not  make  it  better  by  talking  about 
it." 

"  Have  you  heard  from  Eddie  ?  "  asked  Muriel,  at  once 
taking  the  hint. 

"  Not  since  his  telegram  after  the  relief  of  Ladysmith. 
We  are  expecting  word  every  day.  And  we  are  longing 
to  hear  from  Duke  how  he  met  him." 

"  Poor  Eddie  !  He  has  been  in  the  thick  of  it,  hasn't 
he  ?  I  shall  never  forget  his  coming  over  to  wish  us 
good-bye.  He  looked  so  radiant  and  young.  I  thought 
of  Pelleas  in  The  Idylls  of  the  King.  Do  you  remem- 
ber ? — *  The  sunshine  came  along  with  him.'  Eddie 
always  brightens  every  one  he  comes  across.  His  very 
looks  do  it." 

"  I  remember,"  Olive  said,  "  that  our  old  nurse  always 
said  she  could  never  punish  Eddie  when  he  was  naughty, 
for  he  had  a  way  of  smiling  so  seraphically  at  her,  that 
her  heart  melted  at  once." 

Then  as  lunch  was  over,  the  two  girls  sauntered  out 
into  the  garden,  Eddie  being  still  under  discussion. 

"  I  remember  he  told  me  that  he  was  going  to  steady 
down,"  Muriel  said  gravely.  "  He  said  his  time  in  his 
regiment  had  not  been  a  happy  epoch  in  his  life,  and 
such  a  light  came  into  his  face  as  he  added,  c  Forward, 
onward,  upward,  is  my  motto  now.'  I  felt  as  I  looked 
at  him  what  an  ideal  young  knight  he  would  have  made 
if  he  had  lived  long  ago." 


252  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  But,"  said  Olive,  "  you  would  not  like  him  for  your 
knight.  You  laugh  at  his  devotion,  Dot." 

"  No  indeed  not.  I  was  quite  touched  by  it  when  he 
went  away.  He  seemed  so  much  in  earnest.  He 
wanted  to  make  me  promise  I  would  write  to  him,  and 
when  that  failed  he  begged  to  be  allowed  to  write  to  me. 
I  gave  him  permission  to  do  that,  and  he  went  away 
with  a  lingering  hope  that  good  might  come  of  it." 

"  I  wonder  if  you  will  ever  marry,"  Olive  said, 
looking  at  the  bright  young  face  now  sparkling  with 
animation. 

Muriel  shook  her  head. 

"  I  am  too  fond  of  wandering." 

"  You  might  get  a  husband  who  was  fond  of  wander- 
ing too." 

"  No,  I  am  sure  I  should  not.  I  have  seen  many 
men  abroad.  They  like  their  wives  for  a  time,  but  those 
who  have  the  real  love  for  travel  and  adventure  always 
heave  a  sigh  of  relief,  when  their  wives  decide  to  re- 
main behind.  They  hinder  their  progress ;  a  woman 
wants  so  much  more  in  travelling  than  a  man.  If  their 
husbands  are  fond  of  them  they  are  always  anxious  about 
their  safety  ;  if  they  are  not,  they  are  bored  to  death 
with  attending  to  their  wants." 

"Yet  your  father  likes  you  with  him." 

"  Yes,  but  he  is  an  old  and  experienced  traveller, 
and  takes  his  journeys  very  easily.  He  is  not  like  these 
red  hot  discoverers,  who  are  always  for  pushing  to  the 
front,  and  going  where  no  one  has  gone  before." 

"  Ah  well,"  said  Olive  with  a  little  smile,  "  you  will 
get  tired  of  travelling  one  day,  and  want  to  have  a  fire- 
side of  your  own." 


BAD  NEWS  253 


"  But  I  must  see  a  good  bit  more  before  I  do  that. 
And  by  that  time  I  shall  be  a  haggard,  weather-beaten 
old  woman  ! " 

They  walked  round  the  old  garden  paths  for  a  little 
time  in  silence. 

The  spring  sunshine  was  resting  lovingly  on  the  baby 
green  of  trees  and  bushes ;  the  birds  were  ecstatic  in 
their  notes  of  joy  at  the  coming  summer.  Olive  lifted 
her  head,  and  drew  in  a  long  breath  of  the  fresh,  sweet 
air  around  her. 

"  Are  you  happy  here,  Olive  ?  "  asked  Muriel  wonder- 
ingly.  "  Don't  you  feel  very  dull  sometimes  ?  " 

"  No,  not  now.  I  have  the  parish  left  in  my  charge," 
laughed  Olive.  "  I  am  very  happy.  Idleness  and  in- 
activity are  the  only  things  that  try  me.  Don't  you 
think  we  have  very  cosy  quarters  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  you  haven't  many  friends  round  here. 
Don't  you  miss  them  very  much  ?  " 

"  A  little  sometimes  ;  but  it  is  wonderful  how  one 
can  do  without  them.  I  have  you  still.  And  I  never 
made  many  friends  in  Blackenbury." 

"  You  are  wasted  here,"  said  Muriel  with  energy ;  "  and 
I  shall  get  up  a  series  of  dinner  parties  and  musical  even- 
ings, and  make  you  come  over  and  help  me  to  entertain." 

"  You  ridiculous  child  !  I  am  no  more  wasted  here 
than  you  are  in  the  Rocky  Mountains.  No  one  is 
wasted  anywhere.  I  think  I  am  more  useful  here  than 
I  should  be  at  a  dinner  party  !  " 

"  Oh  yes,  useful!"  said  Muriel  turning  up  her  little 
nose  in  disdain. 

"And  happy,"  added  Olive  with  emphasis.  "The 
two  go  together  to  my  mind." 


254 OLIVE   TRACY 

Three  o'clock  came  very  soon,  and  Muriel's  groom 
appeared  for  her.  As  she  rode  away,  Ida  seized  hold  of 
Olive  ecstatically. 

"  That's  how  Beautiful  and  me  will  ride  through  the 
world  when  we're  big,  only  I  shall  have  a  prince  with 
curly  hair,  and  he  shall  do  everything  I  tell  him  at 
once ! " 

"Ay,  missy,"  said  Andrew  who  was  closing  his  gate 
carefully.  "  'A'll  be  bound  ye'll  keep  the  young  fellows 
in  order.  Nowadays  'tis  the  women  are  uppermost, 
quite  contrairy  to  the  scriptures,  but  'A've  no  doubt 
they'll  be  taught  their  place  in  heaven.  For1  He  that 
exalteth  himself  shall  be  abased.'  And  they'll  have  to 
take  the  lowest  seat,  an'  be  filled  with  confusion." 

"Oh  Andrew,  for  shame,"  said  Olive  laughing;  "is 
that  what  you  want  to  bring  me  to  ?  " 

"  No,  Miss  Tracy,"  called  out  Bess  from  the  door, 
"  'tis  me  that  he's  hittin'  at,  and  all  because  I  remind 
him  that  the  best  apples  remain  on  the  tree ;  'tis  the 
rotten  ones  that  fall  into  the  arms  of  any  passer  by  ! 
'Spinster'  he  may  call  me,  but  spinster,  by  choice  and 
persuasion ;  and  many  would  be  proud  at  this  minit  to 
come  at  my  call  if  I  didn't  know  they  wasn't  my  equal 
in  birth  or  eddication  or  manners,  and  not  a  fittin'  match 
in  any  respect  for  one  that  is  so  above  them." 

Olive  turned  in  with  a  smile,  but  wisely  let  Andrew 
and  his  sister-in-law  continue  their  discussion  alone. 
She  went  up  to  her  room,  and  prayed  for  a  quiet  mind. 

Muriel's  news  had  distressed  her  greatly,  and  in  spite 
of  such  circumstantial  evidence  she  could  not  bring  her- 
self to  believe  it. 

Far  into   the  night  she  lay  awake,  thinking  it  over, 


BAD  NEWS  255 


and  wondering  if  she  could  do  anything  to  help  her  old 
friend. 

"  Perhaps  if  I  had  been  more  patient  and  considerate, 
more  tolerant  of  Cora's  annoying  manner  towards  me, 
I  could  have  won  her  friendship,  and  saved  her  from 
making  such  a  shipwreck  of  her  life  and  of  her  hus- 
band's. I  might  have  influenced  her  for  good,  instead 
of  which  I  left  her  to  herself,  and  she  owned  to  Vinny 
that  she  had  not  a  friend  in  Blackenbury.  Oh,  what  a 
tangle  life  is,  and  why  has  this  been  allowed  to  happen 
to  Duke,  of  all  people  !  " 

She  fell  asleep  at  last ;  but  her  sleep  was  troubled  and 
broken,  and  she  came  to  breakfast  the  next  morning  with 
such  a  pale  face  and  heavy  eyes  that  even  Ida  noticed  it. 

"  I  don't  think  we're  quite  well  enough  to  do  lessons," 
she  remarked.  "  Beautiful  and  me  will  take  a  holiday, 
and  then  you  can  lie  down  and  nurse  your  headache  !  " 

Olive  smiled,  but  Ida  did  not  get  her  wish,  and  les- 
sons proceeded  as  usual. 

Whilst  Olive's  interests  was  now  centring  near  home, 
the  struggle  in  South  Africa  was  still  going  on.  A  com- 
parative lull  succeeded  the  capitulation  of  Cronje  and 
the  relief  of  Ladysmith,  but  Eddie  was  kept  busy  on 
the  staff  of  his  General,  and  more  than  once  he  had 
narrow  escapes  from  the  enemy. 

One  morning  Giles  received  an  early  summons  to  his 
master's  tent.  He  and  a  few  other  men  were  enjoying 
some  fishing  in  the  river  that  ran  by  their  camp,  and 
when  he  returned  to  his  comrades  a  little  later  with  the 
announcement  that  he  was  going  off  at  once  with  "  the 
Captin,"  to  carry  despatches,  there  was  a  good  deal  of 
discussion  about  it. 


256  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  Them  despatches  will  be  your  death  afore  you've 
done  wi'  'em  ! "  said  Giles'  chum,  a  fresh  faced,  broad- 
shouldered  lad,  who  took  the  gloomiest  view  of  every- 
thing. 

"  If  you  get  popped,  old  chap,  speak  a  word  to  the 
Captin  for  me,"  shouted  an  oldish  man ;  as  he  stood 
knee  deep  in  the  river,  and  flung  his  line  furiously  back- 
wards and  forwards,  with  the  vague  idea  that  speed  and 
splash  were  necessary  to  attract  his  prey. 

"  The  Captin  don't  favour  your  sort,  Guzzle,"  said 
the  man  next  him. 

"  Ay,  but  I'm  on  the  tack  now,  and  I'm  sick  o' 
spendin'  my  days  a-doin'  nothin'.  I'd  like  a  bit  of  a 
brush  with  these  skulkin'  varmints  !  I'd  turn  a  Bible 
thumper,  to  be  in  your  shoes,  young  feller  !  And  I'm  a 
tidy  sort  o'  groom  when  I  put  my  mind  to  it." 

"  Giv'  our  respecs  to  them  bloomin'  rascals,  and  say 
we're  a  comin'  after  you  to  giv'  'em  a  taste  of  the 
bay'net !  That'll  fetch  'em  up  a  bit !  " 

Giles  stood  for  a  moment  in  silence  before  his  com- 
rades. The  fresh  cool  morning  air  fanned  his  temples. 
Soon,  he  knew  the  sun  would  be  in  all  its  power,  but  it 
was  not  yet  six  o'clock.  He  looked  away  to  some  dis- 
tant hills  standing  up,  gaunt  and  ragged  against  the  clear 
golden  sky  ;  then  his  gaze  fell  on  the  little  party  by  the 
river  bank. 

"  Look  here,"  he  said  with  an  effort.  "  You  laugh  at 
me  for  being  a  Bible  thumper,  but  I  have  a  strange  feel- 
ing this  morning,  that  this  may  be  my  last  chance  of 
saying  a  word  to  you.  We've  seen  a  good  many  chaps 
go  under,  and  my  turn  may  be  comin'.  I'd  like  you  to 
know  if  it  does  come,  that  I  was  ready  to  go.  And  it's 


BAD  NEWS  257 


a  grand  thing  to  be  able  to  step  into  heaven  so  quick, 
and  know  your  sins  is  washed  away,  so  that  you're  safe 
to  go  in  !  Wouldn't  you  be  all  happier  if  you  knew  it 
too  ?  " 

There  was  something  in  Giles'  upright  figure,  and 
glowing  boyish  face,  that  arrested  the  attention  of  his 
careless  comrades.  They  stared  at  him  without  speak- 
ing. 

"  c  Look  unto  Me,  and  be  ye  saved  ! '  That  is  the 
Lord's  message  to  us  soldiers  when  death  is  so  busy 
around  us  !  "  Then  taking  off  his  helmet,  he  waved  a 
farewell  to  them;  and  dashed  off  to  bring  the  horses 
round  to  his  master's  tent. 

A  little  later,  they  were  galloping  across  the  veldt. 
Quickly,  but  cautiously  they  made  their  way.  Every 
bush  or  rock  might  conceal  a  hidden  foe.  Four  troopers 
accompanied  them,  and  for  the  most  part  of  the  way 
there  was  silence.  It  was  only  seven  miles  to  their 
destination,  the  other  British  camp ;  but  every  mile  was 
a  dangerous  one,  and  they  knew  it. 

Eddie's  fair  young  face  was  set  in  keen  grim  lines ; 
his  glance  flashed  first  on  one  side,  and  then  on  the 
other.  A  little  rise  of  the  ground  in  front  with  some 
rugged  brown  rocks  soon  occupied  his  attention.  He 
pointed  it  out  to  his  men. 

"  Be  ready,"  he  said  under  his  breath ;  and  then  sud- 
denly, came  the  quick  ping  of  bullets  whizzing  past 
them.  Thick  and  fast  they  came.  The  foe  was  invis- 
ible, and  although  rifles  were  levelled  at  the  rocks,  it  was 
doubtful  whether  the  shots  took  effect.  Eddie  saw  it 
was  riding  to  certain  death  to  pursue  their  way ;  he 
wheeled  round  to  the  left. 


258  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  Follow  me,"  he  cried ;  "  and  ride  for  your  lives  !  " 

One  of  the  scouts  uttered  an  ejaculation,  then  dropped 
from  his  saddle ;  his  comrade  stopped  and  hoisted  him 
up  beside  him,  the  riderless  horse,  also  wounded,  tore 
away  over  the  veldt  in  a  state  of  maddened  frenzy. 
Another  bullet  brought  a  horse  with  his  rider  to  the 
ground,  then  Eddie  was  suddenly  shot  over  his  charger's 
head,  as  the  animal  made  a  sudden  lurch  forward  and 
rolled  in  agony  on  the  ground,  bleeding  profusely  from 
three  bullet  wounds. 

In  an  instant  Giles  wheeled  up,  dismounted,  and  was 
assisting  his  master  to  rise,  when  he  staggered. 

"  Not  hit,  Giles  !  "  exclaimed  Eddie  hoisting  him  up 
behind  him.  At  the  same  moment  a  troop  of  about 
twenty  or  thirty  Boers  left  their  trenches,  and  came 
thundering  up  on  their  rough  little  ponies. 

"  Surrender  !     Surrender  !  "  they  cried. 

Eddie  looked  round.  All  four  of  the  troopers  were 
wounded.  He  lowered  his  rifle,  fired ;  then  feeling 
Giles'  grip  of  his  belt  relax,  he  put  his  left  hand  back 
and  clutched  hold  of  him  spurring  his  horse  madly  on, 
and,  in  spite  of  a  perfect  hailstorm  of  bullets,  managed 
to  escape  and  outdistance  his  pursuers.  He  did  not 
draw  rein  for  three  miles,  until  the  white  camp  tents 
were  plainly  discernible,  and  then  he  said, 

"  Are  you  badly  hurt,  Giles  ?  " 

u  I'm  afraid  so,  sir." 

Eddie  gave  a  sharp  look  round. 

Alas !  His  gaze  fell  on  a  red  track  behind  his  horse's 
footmarks  in  the  sandy  soil.  He  reined  up  under  a 
scrubby,  undersized  mimosa  tree,  dismounted,  and  lifting 
Giles  tenderly  down,  vainly  tried  to  stem  the  red  stream 


BAD  NEWS  259 


trickling  from  his  side  over  his  kharki  tunic.  Giles' 
face  had  blue  shadows  upon  it,  and  a  grey  pinched  look 
that  Eddie  groaned  to  see. 

"  Have  you  got  any  bandages  in  your  pocket  ?  Ah, 
that's  right.  I'll  do  my  best,  but  we  shall  soon  be  in 
camp." 

Giles'  lips  moved. 

"  I'm  done  for — sir — don't  trouble — leave  me — ride 
on." 

"  Never.  I  am  going  to  lift  you  up  again,  and  we'll 
take  it  easy.  Why,  Giles  lad,  do  you  think  I  would 
forsake  you  !  " 

Eddie  paused,  and  with  sinking  of  heart  he  realised 
that  Giles'  strong  young  life  was  swiftly  ebbing  away. 

"  I  believe  you  are  going  home,  Giles,"  he  said  in  an 
awed  whisper. 

The  dying  boy  smiled. 

"Tell — mother — it's  so  easy — going — safe  in  the 
arms  of  Jesus " 

His  head  drooped ;  a  tired  sigh ;  and  Giles  had  left 
this  earth  and  was  "  present  with  the  Lord." 

When  Eddie  reached  the  British  camp  shortly  after, 
he  bore  behind  him  the  lifeless  body  of  his  brave  young 
servant. 

And  when  Giles'  comrades  were  told  the  sad  news, 
they  looked  at  each  other  gravely. 

"  May  I  be  prepared  like  htm,  when  my  time  comes  !  " 
was  the  language  of  each  of  their  hearts. 

****** 

"  Oh  Diogenes,  look  here  ! " 

It  was  Olive  who  held  the  newspaper  in  her  hand. 
The  post  had  just  come,  and  with  it  the  London  paper. 


26o  OLIVE   TRACY 

"Not  Eddie,  is  it?  "  asked  Osmond,  taking  the  pa- 
per she  offered  him. 

"  Not  wounded,  thank  God,  but  it  is  Giles." 

It  was  a  short  paragraph  at  the  bottom  of  the  casualty 
list. 

"Lieut.  E.  Tracy  when  carrying  despatches  yesterday 
was  surrounded  by  a  party  of  Boers.  He  was  only  at- 
tended by  his  servant  and  four  troopers  of  R's  Horse, 
and  the  little  party,  being  outnumbered  by  the  enemy, 
was  called  upon  to  surrender.  Two  of  the  troopers  were 
killed,  two  wounded  and  taken  prisoners.  Lieut.  Tracy 
and  his  servant  Pte.  A.  Giles  escaped.  Lieut.  Tracy's 
horse  was  shot  under  him,  and  his  life  only  saved  by  his 
servant  who  dismounted,  gave  him  his  horse,  and  whilst 
in  the  act  of  mounting  behind  him,  was  mortally 
wounded.  Lieut.  Tracy  reached  camp  bringing  the  body 
of  his  servant  with  him." 

Olive's  eyes  were  full  of  tears. 

"  What  a  miraculous  escape  for  Eddie !  But  poor 
Mrs.  Giles  !  Oh,  how  can  I  break  it  to  her  ?  I  must 
go  at  once.  Will  you  look  after  Ida  till  I  come  back  ?  " 

She  was  not  long  in  making  her  way  to  the  widow's 
cottage,  but  bad  news  always  flies  quickly.  The  post- 
master had  told  the  tale  directly  he  had  seen  it  in  the 
paper,  and  when  she  arrived  at  Mrs.  Giles'  she  found 
that  some  of  the  villagers  had  already  forestalled  her. 
The  little  parlour  seemed  full  of  them.  Mrs.  Giles,  in 
the  abandonment  of  her  grief,  had  flung  her  arms  out 
upon  the  table,  and,  dropping  her  head  in  them,  re- 
mained perfectly  silent  and  immovable  amidst  the  hushed 
and  excited  chatter  around  her. 

"  Here  comes  Miss  Tracy  !  " 


BAD  NEWS  261 


"  'Tis  her  brother  that  'ee  give  his  life  for !  " 

"  Likely  she'll  do  something  for  the  poor  soul  !  " 

"  Ay,  dear  me  !  She'll  feel  it  to  be  her  brother's 
doin' ! " 

"  As  the  scripture  says  :  '  One  shall  be  taken,  and  the 
t'other  left ' !  " 

Olive  passed  them  swiftly ;  then  bent  over  the  poor 
little  widow,  and  put  her  hand  tenderly  on  her  shoulder. 

"  I  wish  I  had  been  the  first  to  tell  you,"  she  said. 
"  Oh  Mrs.  Giles,  I  do  feel  for  you  !  What  can  I  say 
to  comfort  you  ?  " 

Mrs.  Giles  raised  her  face.  It  was  white  and  tear- 
less ;  and  there  were  hard  strained  lines  about  her  eyes 
and  mouth.  The  piteous  look  in  her  dark  eyes,  as  she 
gazed  up  into  Olive's  face  without  a  word,  was  heart- 
breaking. Olive,  with  tears  in  her  own  eyes,  stooped 
and  kissed  her.  There  was  a  little  murmur  of  approval 
from  the  neighbours  :  aprons  went  up  to  their  faces,  and 
there  were  several  audible  sniffs  and  sobs. 

Then  Mrs.  Giles  spoke. 

"  Send  them  away  !  " 

This  seemed  base  ingratitude  to  the  onlookers.  Olive 
gently  asked  them  to  leave,  and  they  crept  off. 

Outside  the  cottage  their  voices  were  raised  in  indig- 
nant protest. 

u  Me  to  be  sent  away,  that  were  so  full  o'  thought 
and  feelin'  for  the  widder,  that  I  had  scarcely  a  bite  o' 
breakfast,  and  left  me  washin'  and  all  me  work,  and 
came  off  in  such  tearin'  haste  that  I  clean  forgot  the 
saucepan  on  the  fire,  which  will  have  boiled  over  and 
spoilt  me  nice  clean  stove  a-blackleaded  all  fresh  this 
mornin'  !  " 


262  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  Ah  well,  Mrs.  Shaw,  ye  didn't  leave  two  little  uns 
as  I  did,  and  if  my  John  comes  home  and  finds  no 
dinner,  and  the  children  upsettin'  the  whole  house  'twill 
be  a  poor  reward  I  shall  have  for  goin'  on  such  an  er- 
rand of  mercy,  and  gettin'  no  thanks  for  it !  " 

"  'Tis  astonishin'  how  some  folks  takes  all  that  is 
done  for  'em,  and  turns  and  behaves  so  impolite  in  one's 
face,  but  there  poor  crittur,  she  be  beside  herself,  and 
she  won't  be  able  to  have  no  funeral ! " 

This  caused  general  consternation. 

"  Us  must  have  a  funeral  for  the  honour  of  'im ! 
And  he  a  soldier,  and  died  such  a  beautiful  death ;  why 
there  must  be  a  funeral,  surely  !  " 

"  'Twouldn't  be  decent  not  to  have  his  funeral,  like  a 
gaol  bird  that  was  hung  !  Us  must  have  the  funeral, 
'tis  enough  to  make  his  dear  father  turn  in  his  grave !  " 

"  Dearie  me  !  What  a  misfortune  for  the  poor  thing, 
and  she  that  has  bin  so  respected  like  latterly,  her  will 
never  get  over  it,  a  death  wi'out  a  funeral  !  Who'd  a 
thought  poor  Alfred  would  a  come  to  this  !  " 

Olive  meanwhile  was  sitting  down  by  Mrs.  Giles' 
side.  Neither  spoke  for  some  time.  Olive  felt  that  in 
presence  of  such  a  grief  she  had  nothing  to  say. 

Presently  Mrs.  Giles  looked  up. 

"The  Almighty  has  took  everything  from  me.  He 
has  got  'em  all,  and  He  hasn't  left  me  no  one.  I'm  a 
lone,  miserable  widder  !  " 

"  Alfred  is  so  happy,"  whispered  Olive.  "  He  was  a 
dear,  good  lad.  I  remember  my  brother  told  me  once, 
he  used  to  find  him  reading  his  Bible  at  odd  moments, 
and  I  used  to  wish  my  brother  was  more  like  him.  Let 
us  think  of  his  happiness,  dear  Mrs.  Giles." 


BAD  NEWS  263 


"  What  business  had  they  to  shoot  my  boy  ?  "  asked 
Mrs.  Giles  fiercely  and  unreasonably.  "  He  hadn't  done 
them  no  harm,  the  cowardly  murderers  !  I'd  like  to  get 
the  law  on  'em  that  I  would.  I'd  like  to  see  'em  swing 
for  it ! " 

"  Let  us  ask  God  to  comfort  you  !  "  said  Olive,  her 
heart  aching  for  the  poor  little  woman. 

They  knelt  down  and  Olive  prayed.  Mrs.  Giles  lis- 
tened and  rose  to  her  feet  with  her  face  set  and  hard. 

"  I  can't  take  the  words  in  yet,  Miss.  Thank  you 
kindly.  I  don't  see  as  how — not  meanin'  to  be  wicked 
— as  even  the  Almighty  could  comfort  me  !  Not  un- 
less He  gives  him  back  agen  to  me !  He  was  so  young, 
so  strong,  such  a  lot  o'  years  to  live  to  be  so  old  as  his 
poor  father !  " 

"  He  died  a  hero's  death,"  said  Olive  softly. 

Mrs.  Giles  had  buried  her  face  again  in  her  arms,  and 
not  a  word  did  she  say. 

Olive  sat  on,  and  waited,  then  taking  up  a  Bible  she 
commenced  to  read  a  few  verses  from  the  fifteenth  chap- 
ter of  the  first  epistle  to  the  Corinthians.  The  familiar 
words  that  Mrs.  Giles  had  heard  in  the  churchyard  over 
many  a  grave,  made  her  look  up  in  dazed  horror. 

"  Miss,  how  am  I  to  have  his  funeral  ?  " 

The  awful  fact  took  hold  of  her,  as  the  news  of  his 
death  had  not  done,  and  in  a  moment  she  burst  into 
hysterical  weeping.  Her  tempest  of  sobs  seemed  to 
shake  her  almost  to  pieces,  but  the  tears  softened  and  re- 
lieved her  strain  of  mind. 

"  I  shall  never,  never  lift  up  my  head,  to  have  him 
die  without  a  funeral !  No  coffin,  no  grave  !  Oh  Miss, 
what  shall  I  ever  do  !  What  will  the  neighbours  think 


264  OLIVE   TRACY 

and  say  !  'Tis  the  will  of  God.  I  won't  rebel  against 
it,  but  oh  dear  Miss,  do  help  me  to  get  a  funeral  for 
him ! " 

Olive  promised  to  talk  it  over  with  the  clergyman 
who  was  taking  Mr.  Hunt's  duty,  and  at  last,  when  she 
was  quieter,  she  left  her,  and  retraced  her  steps  to  the 
Farm  with  a  heavy  heart. 

The  excitement  in  the  village  was  great  over  poor 
Alfred's  death  ;  subscriptions  were  raised  for  a  memorial 
tablet,  and  when  there  was  a  short  memorial  service 
held  in  the  church,  not  a  villager  was  absent.  Eddie 
wrote  soon  after  giving  a  full  account  of  the  affair. 

After  giving  Giles'  last  words,  he  wrote : 

Tell  Mrs.  Giles  she  may  well  be  proud  of  her  son.  He  saved  my 
life  at  the  cost  of  his  own.  It  was  his  dismounting  that  did  it,  but 
even  at  such  a  crisis,  he  would  do  things  in  correct  style  !  I  hauled 
him  up,  but  it  was  too  late.  I  just  managed  to  keep  him  from  slip- 
ping, and  when  we  were  safe  from  the  enemy,  I  lifted  him  down  and 
did  what  I  could  to  make  him  comfortable.  He  was  ready  and  happy 
to  go.  I  sobbed  like  a  child  when  I  got  back  to  camp.  We  gave 
him  a  proper  funeral  and  I'm  putting  a  stone  up  over  him.  I  shall 
never  get  another  servant  like  him.  He  was  "  faithful  unto  death." 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

A    MISERABLE    WOMAN 

Weak  is  that  throne,  and  in  itself  unsound, 
Which  takes  not  solid  virtue  for  its  ground. 

—  Churchill. 

WHEN  Duke  was  summoned  by  Cora  to  follow  her, 
and  he  left  his  father  and  Olive  to  do  so,  he  little  thought 
of  the  revelation  that  was  coming  upon  him. 

He  wondered  at  Cora's  agitation,  but  when  she  led 
him  to  his  mother's  boudoir,  which  she  had  appropriated 
for  her  own  use  since  her  arrival,  he  was  too  overcome 
by  the  old  associations  of  his  mother's  presence  there,  to 
take  much  heed  of  her  tone  and  manner. 

He  seated  himself  in  the  chair  he  had  so  often  occu- 
pied before,  when  in  confabulation  with  Lady  Crofton 
about  family  or  business  matters.  Cora  unknowingly 
caused  him  to  wince,  by  the  unceremonious  way  in  which 
she  drew  Lady  Crofton's  easy  chair  up  to  the  fire ;  and, 
with  a  fan  in  her  hand,  shielded  herself  from  his  obser- 
vation by  holding  it  between  her  face  and  him. 

"  Well,"  he  said  kindly,  looking  across  at  her  as  he 
spoke  ;  "  what  is  it,  Cora,  that  you  want  to  tell  me  ?  " 

"  I  ^have  a  confession  to  make.  I  don't  want  you  to 
judge  me  till  you  have  heard  my  side.  I  would  have 
prepared  you  (if  I  could.  I  have  been  miserable, 
wretched  !  And  things  have  got  worse  and  worse. 
Will  you  hear  me  from  the  beginning  and  be  merciful  ?  " 

265 


266  OLIVE   TRACY 

She  was  speaking  feverishly,  and  her  voice  trembled 
with  emotion. 

Duke  gazed  at  her  in  wonder  for  a  moment,  then  said 
gently : 

"  I  don't  think  I  could  be  anything  but  merciful  to 
you,  Cora,  knowing  your  circumstances." 

She  caught  in  her  breath  quickly,  then  rose  from  her 
seat,  and  clinging  to  the  high  mantel-board  above  the  fire 
hid  her  face  in  her  hands. 

'.'  You  remember  your  arrangements.  You  wrote  to 
Lady  Crofton  and  told  her  all.  I  came  here  expecting 
to  be  received  by  her,  and  found  her  gone.  Miss  Tracy 
was  staying  with  your  father.  She  welcomed  me  as  if 
she  knew  all  about  it,  and  took  me  to  Sir  Marmaduke, 
and  he  was  most  kind ;  but  I  thought  he  was  a  little 
weak  in  intellect,  as  he  treated  me  as  your  wife,  and  not 
Mark's ! " 

"Well,"  said  Duke  quietly  as  her  voice  broke;  "what 
next  ? " 

"  I  did  not  undeceive  him.  I  thought  it  was  his  fancy, 
but  he  said  that  if  I  had  been  Mark's  wife  I  should  not 
have  entered  his  house.  That  was  a  pleasant  thing  to 
hear  on  my  arrival !  I  was  tired,  worn  out  and  dazed, 
and  I  could  not  understand  it.  After  dinner  that  even- 
ing Miss  Tracy  made  it  clear  to  me.  She  told  me  that 
Lady  Crofton  had  received  your  letter  when  very  ill,  that 
it  had  been  lost  or  destroyed  before  any  one  saw  it  but 
herself,  and  she  had  told  her  when  half-delirious  that  I 
was  your  wife,  and  that  she  and  Sir  Marmaduke  must 
welcome  me  as  such.  I  suppose  she  mixed  up  your 
names.  Miss  Tracy  said  she  seemed  very  distressed 
about  something,  but  could  not  explain  ;  and  died  before 


A  MISERABLE  WOMAN  267 

they  could  learn  any  more.  I  found  when  I  came,  that  every 
one  was  prepared  to  receive  me,  but  only  as  your  wife." 

Again  she  paused.  Duke's  mind  was  back  in  his 
mother's  sick  room.  He  looked  dreamily  into  the  fire, 
and  seemed  to  have  forgotten  for  the  time  Cora's  exist- 
ence. Then  he  started,  as  she  lifted  her  face  up  and 
confronted  him  defiantly. 

"  Are  you  asleep  ?  Oh,  I  thought  you  were.  Well 
I  suppose  you  can  guess  the  rest." 

He  shook  his  head.  "  I  suppose  when  you  explained, 
my  father  understood  and  welcomed  you." 

Cora's  eyes  flashed,  and  she  stamped  her  foot. 

"  Oh  you  men  !  How  can  you  understand  !  Can't 
you  see  my  position  ?  It  was  cruel  to  bring  me  into  it. 
So  much  was  taken  for  granted,  so  few  questions  asked. 
Have  you  no  pity  for  the  girl  tricked  away  from  her 
father's  house,  only  discovering  her  husband's  deceit 
after  marriage,  and  then  forsaken  by  her  family  at  the 
time  she  needed  them  most !  You  are  responsible  for 
what  I  have  done,  and  you  alone;  for  you  made  me  think 
Mark's  wife  would  be  welcomed;  you  sent  me  over 
here,  an  outcast  among  strangers,  and  then  when  the 
ground  seemed  slipping  away  from  under  my  feet,  you 
expected  me  to  behave  like  a  saint,  and  meekly  expose 
myself,  to  be  driven  forth  without  a  home,  and  without 
a  friend  !  " 

Cora's  passion  blazed  forth  so  furiously,  that  Duke 
rose  to  his  feet,  alert  and  interested  at  once. 

"  I  wish  you  would  explain  things  a  little  more  clearly, 
Cora.  What  has  happened  ?  When  you  first  came 
here  you  were  mistaken  for  my  wife.  Did  you  not  ex- 
plain your  identity  ?  " 


268  OLIVE   TRACY 

Cora's  passion  died  away  beneath  the  keen  penetrating 
glance  of  Duke's  clear  grey  eyes. 

She  had  no  great  powers  of  self-control,  and  fright  and 
misery  were  getting  the  upper  hand  of  her. 

"  Oh  don't  be  hard  upon  me,"  she  said,  tears  rising  in 
her  eyes.  "  I  never  was  great  in  moral  courage.  I 
have  not  undeceived  them,  and  they  have  none  of  them 
any  idea  that  I  am  not  your  wife.  Listen,  and  do  have 

pity." 

But  Duke  would  not  listen.  He  broke  in  with  such 
stern  amazement,  that  Cora  shrank  in  fear  from  his  gaze. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  for  all  these  months 
you  have  been  living  and  acting  a  lie  ?  You  have  been 
passing  yourself  off  as  my  wife,  and  making  my  father 
— Miss  Tracy — believe  it  ?  " 

Olive's  name  brought  a  little  bitter  smile  to  Cora's 
lips. 

In  his  horror,  Duke  betrayed  the  real  sting  of  the 
matter  to  him,  and  Cora  took  advantage  of  it  at  once. 

"  They  were  only  too  ready  to  believe  it,"  she  said  a 
little  scornfully.  "  Miss  Tracy  was  the  originator  of 
such  a  statement.  She  was  not  at  all  surprised.  Why 
should  she  be  ?  She  had  told  every  one  that  I  was  your 
bride  before  my  arrival.  I  have  been  impassive  all  along, 
they  forced  me  to  conceal  my  identity  when  I  had  no  in- 
tention of  doing  so.  Oh,  I  know  I  have  done  wrong, 
and  if  you  had  not  come  back  so  suddenly,  I  should  have 
acted  differently  now.  I  did  not  mean  to  be  here  when 
you  returned." 

"  And  may  I  ask,"  said  Duke  pacing  the  room  in  his 
agitation  ;  "  what  has  become  of  my  letters  ?  How  is  it 
that  my  father  did  not  discover  in  them  the  real  truth  ? " 


A  MISERABLE  WOMAN  269 

Cora  sank  back  in  her  chair  and  began  to  sob. 

"  Don't  catechise  me  so  !  It  has  been  like  a  hideous 
nightmare.  Your  father  never  reads  any  letters,  I  always 
read  them  to  him." 

"  I  see  !  " 

There  was  a  little  silence.  At  last  Duke  came 
and  stood  on  the  hearthrug.  His  face  looked  set  and 
hard. 

"  And  now  what  do  you  wish  me  to  do  ?  " 

"Just  have  mercy  on  me  for — for  to-night,"  sobbed 
Cora.  "  Don't  disgrace  me  before  every  one.  Keep 
silent  till  to-morrow.  Oh  Duke,  you  were  so  kind  to 
me  at  home,  don't  be  so  hard  on  me  now.  I'm  a 
miserable  woman,  and  have  no  proper  home  !  " 

"  I  do  not  want  to  be  hard  on  you,"  said  Duke,  his 
tone  softening  as  he  glanced  at  the  tearful  shrinking 
little  figure  in  the  chair;  "  but  a  course  of  deception  like 
this  is  past  my  comprehension,  and  I  fail  to  think  how 
you  could  have  pursued  it !  I  can  make  allowances,  for 
the  first  night  perhaps,  under  the  peculiar  circumstances 
of  your  arrival.  Even  that  would  be  difficult  to  imagine, 
but  when  one  realises  all  that  this  long  deception  entails, 
how  many  people  have  been  included  in  it,  I  think  you 
must  allow  that  I  have  a  right  to  be  annoyed  !  " 

"  I  have  been  living  here  as  Sir  Marmaduke's  daugh- 
ter-in-law," said  Cora,  a  little  of  the  old  fire  coming 
back  to  her  eye ;  "  and  I  am  that,  in  spite  of  all  that  you 
can  say.  I  have  never  changed  my  name.  It  may  be 
very  difficult  for  you  to  imagine  in  your  immaculate 
goodness  and  uprightness !  But  it  was  one  of  your 
family  who  first  taught  me  how  to  deceive.  It  was  a 
Crofton  who  deceived  me,  and  I  wish  with  all  my  heart 


270  OLIVE   TRACY 

that  I  had  never  set  eyes  on  either  of  you.  Mark  has 
ruined  my  life ;  you  step  in  with  your  assurances  of 
comfort,  and  then  you  bring  me  to  this  !  I  suppose  you 
are  longing  to  call  the  whole  household  up,  and  point 
the  finger  of  scorn  at  me — the  usurper !  Well,  do  it, 
do  it  now,  and  then  your  sense  of  justice  will  be  satis- 
fied !  " 

Duke  bore  this  angry  tirade  in  silence.  He  was  tired 
and  weary  with  his  journey,  weakened  by  his  wounds, 
and  a  woman  of  Cora's  type  was  past  his  comprehension. 
It  was  a  bitter  shock,  when  coming  home,  with  his  heart 
full  of  unfulfilled  longings,  and  hope  for  his  future,  he 
had  been  met  with  this  confession  within  an  hour  of  his 
arrival.  As  he  paced  up  and  down  the  room  his 
thoughts  went  back  to  the  past.  He  had  gone  out  to 
the  Cape  with  the  sole  desire  of  helping  and  keeping  his 
brother  straight.  He  found  him  just  the  same  as  ever. 
Pleasure  seeking  and  careless ;  using  any  means  that 
came  in  his  way,  whether  fair  or  foul,  of  advancing  his 
own  interests;  throwing  his  money  away  while  it  lasted, 
then  living  on  his  friends  till  more  came.  Duke  found 
him  at  first  really  doing  some  farming,  but  it  was  done 
by  fits  and  starts,  and  there  was  little  profit  in  it.  All 
his  spare  time  was  spent  at  the  Corderoys,  and  Duke, 
seeing  he  was  chiefly  engaged  in  riding  about  and  play- 
ing tennis  with  the  girls,  rather  encouraged  the  intimacy 
than  otherwise;  for  it  kept  him  away  from  the  gambling 
saloons.  Then  came  the  announcement  of  his  engage- 
ment to  Cora,  but  her  father,  though  not  absolutely  for- 
bidding it,  did  not  approve  of  the  match.  After  much 
persuasion  he  gave  a  reluctant  consent.  Duke  was 
necessarily  a  good  deal  with  his  Battery,  and  was  not 


A  MISERABLE  WOMAN  271 

aware  of  all  that  went  on.  It  was  only  afterwards  that 
he  discovered  that  Mark  had,  in  the  most  cool  and  bare- 
faced way,  allowed  the  Corderoys  to  consider  him  the 
eldest  son,  and  consequently  Mr.  Corderoy  overlooked 
his  present  small  income,  in  view  of  his  future  expecta- 
tions. Yet  he  still  forbade  any  idea  of  marriage.  Cora 
had  about  £200  a  year  of  her  own,  the  interest  from  a 
legacy  left  her  by  an  aunt,  and  it  was  this  paltry  ,£200 
that  made  Mark  so  anxious  to  marry.  In  the  end  the 
foolish  girl  consented  to  a  secret  marriage,  and  it  was 
not  till  after  she  was  his  wife,  that  she  learnt  he  was 
the  youngest  son.  In  bitter  anger  and  disappointment, 
she  left  him  and  went  home  ;  but  her  father  sternly 
shut  his  door  upon  her.  It  was  at  this  juncture  Duke 
came  forward.  Mark  was  at  his  last  penny,  and  was 
wild  to  try  his  fortune  in  Australia.  Cora  refused  to 
accompany  him,  and  then  Duke  conceived  the  idea  of 
her  going  home  to  his  mother  for  the  time,  till  something 
could  be  arranged.  He  managed  to  patch  up  the  peace 
between  husband  and  wife ;  Mark  vowed  he  would  make 
a  fresh  start  in  Australia ;  and  if  he  succeeded  he  would 
send  for  his  wife.  And  the  young  couple  parted  with 
one  another  amicably. 

All  this  Duke  wrote  to  his  mother,  imploring  her 
to  befriend  Cora,  and  receive  her  as  a  daughter.  He 
came  home,  missing  intensely  the  motherly  presence  and 
welcome  he  had  always  received  before ;  and  Cora's 
reward  for  all  his  efforts  on  her  behalf  was  the  con- 
fession now  made  to  him,  of  a  long  system  of  deception 
and  imposition,  in  which  she  had  tricked  and  deceived 
those  nearest  and  dearest  to  him. 

He  was  the  soul  of  honour  himself,  and  though  his 


272  OLIVE   TRACY 

brother's  conduct  again  and  again  had  filled  him  with 
shame  and  mortification,  he  had  preserved  his  trust  in 
a  woman's  truth  and  integrity.  He  had  looked  upon 
Cora  as  an  ignorant,  unsophisticated  girl ;  had  pitied  her 
from  the  bottom  of  his  heart  for  being  Mark's  wife;  and 
had  returned  home  full  of  ideas  of  helping  and  befriend- 
ing her  still.  As  he  stood  before  her  now,  all  this 
passed  rapidly  through  his  mind,  and  having  a  manlike 
hatred  of  scenes,  he  felt  strongly  inclined  to  go  straight 
out  of  the  room  and  right  himself  in  the  eyes  of  his 
father  and  of  Olive. 

But  Duke  was  not  a  man  of  impulse,  and  after  a  little 
silence  he  said  : 

"  I  do  not  know  that  matters  will  be  improved  by  the 
explanation  being  deferred ;  but  if  you  are  very  anxious 
that  nothing  shall  be  said  to-night  by  me,  I  will  be 
silent.  Only  I  warn  you  that  this  is  providing  circum- 
stances do  not  force  me  to  explain.  I  will  not  prevari- 
cate, nor  lie." 

Then  Cora  looked  up  eagerly,  and  her  defiance  melted 
away. 

"  Thank  you,"  she  said,  "  I  shall  be  able  to  explain 
to-morrow  !  " 

"  Where  is  Mark  now  ?  "  Duke  asked  abruptly. 
"  Do  you  hear  from  him  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Cora  hesitating  ;  "  and  I  am  thinking  of 
joining  him  soon.  My  place  is  by  my  husband's  side, 
whatever  his  circumstances  may  be." 

With  this  proper  sentiment  she  left  the  room,  and 
with  an  inward  groan  Duke  went  back  to  his  father.  He 
felt  burdened  and  oppressed  by  his  secret,  and  when  Olive 
had  left,  his  father  found  him  strangely  distrait  and  absent. 


A  MISERABLE  WOMAN  273 

After  a  time  he  roused  himself,  and  listened  to  the 
many  business  matters  that  his  father  touched  upon. 
When  dinner  time  came  round,  a  message  was  brought 
by  Cora's  maid  to  say  that  "  Mrs.  Crofton  had  a 
bad  headache  and  would  not  be  able  to  leave  her 
room  again  that  evening."  Duke  was  visibly  relieved, 
but  the  servants'  hall  was  full  of  wonder  and  conjecture 
about  it. 

"  'Tis  not  a  love  match,"  said  Triggs,  shaking  his 
head  from  side  to  side.  "  I  would  have  given  a  deal  to 
see  the  meetin'  between  them.  'Tis  a  queer  welcome 
for  a  wife  to  give  her  husband  home  from  the  war  !  " 

"There's  something  queer  altogether,"  said  Hall, 
Cora's  maid.  "  Mrs.  Crofton  has  been  shut  up  with 
the  Captain,  and  she  comes  out  with  her  eyes  as  red 
as  fire,  and  shuts  herself  up  into  her  bedroom  regular 
sulky  like,  and  he,  poor  man,  looks  quite  sad  and 
gloomy  !  " 

All  had  a  word  to  say,  but  none  of  them  had  an 
inkling  of  the  truth,  and  Duke  was  not  called  upon  in 
any  way  that  night  to  compromise  truth,  or  reveal  the 
real  facts  of  the  case. 

He  stayed  talking  to  his  father  till  the  old  man  re- 
tired to  rest ;  then,  with  a  cigar  in  his  mouth,  he  went 
out  and  paced  the  glass  verandah  in  the  moonlight. 

All  through  his  late  campaign  and  his  voyage  home, 
one  image  was  in  his  thoughts.  When  he  stepped  into 
his  father's  room  and  saw  Olive  sitting  by  his  side,  his 
heart  throbbed  violently.  He  noted  even  in  that  brief 
space  of  time,  that  she  had  grown  more  beautiful. 
There  was  a  grace  and  sweetness  in  her  carriage  that  had 
been  lacking  in  the  merry,  laughing-eyed  girl  that  he  had 


274  OLIVE   TRACY 

known  nine  months  previously.  Her  eyes  were  the 
same  deep  blue ;  her  hair  was  in  the  same  sunny  waves 
over  her  small  well-shaped  head ;  her  black  dress  perhaps 
showed  off  her  fair  complexion  to  a  greater  advantage, 
but  it  was  something  more  than  her  external  appearance 
that  appealed  to  him.  He  thought  of  her  now,  as  he 
walked  up  and  down.  "  It  is  Undine  with  her  soul,"  he 
muttered  at  last,  and  then  a  smile  broke  over  his  face 
that  was  good  to  see.  But  her  reception  had  pained 
him.  Was  she  bent  upon  showing  him  that  they  must 
never  be  anything  more  than  old  friends,  he  wondered  ! 
And  then,  as  he  thought  of  what  she  must  believe,  his 
heart  was  hot  against  his  brother's  wife. 

"  She  must  think  I  went  away  and  forgot  her.  I  am 
a  married  man  in  her  estimation ;  no  wonder  my  greet- 
ing startled  her,  and  yet  what  restraint  I  put  upon  myself! 
She  has  gone  away  thinking  of  me  still  as  Cora's  hus- 
band. Good  heavens !  What  a  ghastly  thought ! 
What  a  woman  to  put  in  her  place  !  I  wonder  what  she 
thinks  of  me  !  Perhaps  she  never  thinks  of  me  at  all. 
Such  fickleness  on  my  part  would  be  beneath  con- 
tempt ! " 

His  thoughts  were  not  pleasant  ones.  He  felt  keenly 
the  wrong  that  had  been  done  him,  and  was  impatient  to 
right  himself  in  the  eyes  of  the  one  who  was  so  much  to 
him.  At  last,  tired  out,  he  turned  in ;  and  sleep  for  the 
time  eased  both  body  and  brain. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

FLIGHT 

We  mourn  the  guilty,  while  the  guilt  we  blame. 

—Mallett. 

IT  was  very  early  the  next  morning,  that  Duke  was 
aroused  from  his  slumbers  by  the  advent  of  Triggs,  who 
handed  him  a  note  on  a  salver  with  a  scared  face. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon  for  intruding,  sir,  but  Hall  found 
this  on  Mrs.  Crofton's  table  this  morning ;  and  thought 
you  would  like  it  the  first  thing,  for  Mrs.  Crofton  is 
away,  sir,  and  her  bed  hasn't  been  slept  in  ! " 

Triggs  evidently  was  longing  to  stay  whilst  the  note 
was  being  read ;  but  Duke  sternly  bade  him  leave  the 
room,  and  took  the  note  from  him  with  imperturbable 
gravity. 

It  was  not  a  long  one : 

I  am  going  away.  I  cannot  face  explanations.  My  weakness 
made  me  adopt  the  course  you  naturally  condemn.  My  weakness  is 
taking  me  away.  Do  not  trouble  to  look  for  me.  I  am  joining  Mark 
who  is  in  England ;  and  I  dare  say  we  shall  be  crossing  the  Atlantic 
again  very  soon.  I  hope  I  shall  never  set  eyes  on  England  again.  I 
was  brought  over  by  false  representations,  and  you  alone  are  to  blame 
for  the  circumstances  that  proved  so  disastrous  to  me. 

Your  sister-in-law, 

CORA. 

Duke  read  this  through  more  than  once,  realising  the 
bitterness  of  spirit  in  which  it  was  written,  and  then 
he  sighed  : 

"  Poor    girl.     She    is  heavily  handicapped  by  nature 

275 


276 OLIVE   TRACY        

and  circumstances.  I  am  afraid  I  have  felt  hardly  dis- 
posed towards  her." 

He  disappointed  the  household  by  appearing  at  break- 
fast with  a  calm  unruffled  brow.  Triggs,  burning  with 
curiosity,  at  last  could  contain  himself  no  longer. 

"  If  you  please,  sir,  the  servants  are  gossiping  so. 
May  I  give  them  any  information  ? " 

"  None  at  present,"  was  the  stern  reply. 

Duke  had  not  much  appetite  for  his  breakfast,  and 
soon  left  the  table  and  went  up  to  his  father's  room. 
There,  as  gently  as  he  could,  he  broke  the  tidings  to 
the  old  man.  He  sketched  out,  as  he  was  able,  an  oc- 
count  of  Mark's  courtship  and  marriage,  and  the  strange 
home-coming  of  the  young  bride.  He  spared  her  as 
much  as  possible ;  he  tried  to  exonerate  her  from  a  de- 
liberate plan  of  deception,  but  Sir  Marmaduke's  anger 
was  hot  and  fierce  against  her;  and  he  would  listen  to 
no  excuse  on  her  behalf. 

"  A  shameless  impostor  !  Don't  call  her  a  daughter 
of  mine  !  She  is  a  fit  companion  for  the  son  whom  I 
will  disown  in  future.  I  will  have  nothing  to  do  with 
either  of  them.  We  shall  be  the  talk  of  the  neighbour- 
hood. She  has  hoodwinked  and  deceived  in  every  direc- 
tion, lie  upon  lie,  eating  my  bread,  partaking  of  my  hos- 
pitality, and  laughing  in  her  sleeve  at  the  innocence  of 
an  old  man  in  being  so  easily  imposed  upon  !  " 

"  Did  you  know  that  Mark  was  in  England  ? " 

"  It's  another  lie  !  "  muttered  Sir  Marmaduke  angrily. 

When  Duke  at  last  left  his  father,  he  was  besieged  by 
Baker.  For  a  moment  he  felt  inclined  to  treat  her  as 
he  had  treated  Triggs,  but  his  heart  smote  him,  and  he 
called  her  into  the  library. 


FLIGHT  277 

"  Well,  Baker,  out  with  it  ?  You  have  something  to 
say." 

"  Oh  Captain  Crofton — forgive  me.  I  must  speak — 
for  you  must  know  it.  Better  the  blow  came  on  you 
from  me,  than  from  an  outsider !  It's  worse  than  I  ever 
imagined,  but  it  is  true  as  gospel,  for  more  than  one 
person  saw  them.  Mrs.  Crofton  left  this  town  with 
Mr.  Mordaunt  last  night." 

"  And  who  is  Mr.  Mordaunt  ?  "  Duke  asked  a  little 
haughtily. 

"  He  is  the  new  agent,  sir ;  the  one  Mrs.  Crofton  put 
in  soon  after  she  came.  They've  been  so  thick.  Please 
don't  be  angry,  but  I  must  say  it ;  it  has  been  the  talk 
about  for  a  long  time  past.  They  were  seen  after  ten 
o'clock  last  night,  at  the  station  together.  He  has  been 
living  in  the  Court  Cottage,  sir,  and  his  man  has  been 
up  this  morning  to  say  he  went  away  late  last  night,  and 
he  told  him  he  wasn't  comjng  back  no  more,  for  the  billet 
didn't  suit  him.  Those  were  his  very  words,  sir.  And 
he  hasn't  left  a  bit  of  his  property  or  luggage  behind  him." 

"  I  am  afraid,  Baker,"  said  Duke  adopting  a  stern 
tone  to  hide  the  sudden  sinking  of  heart  that  came  over 
him,  "  I  am  afraid  your  tongues  here  run  away  with  you. 
Mrs.  Crofton  left  this  house  suddenly  I  own,  but  she 
had  her  reasons  for  doing  so.  She  left  to  join  her  hus- 
band, for  she  felt  unable  to  give  you  the  explanation 
that  I  must  give  you  now." 

Baker's  face  was  a  study. 

"  You  have  all  been  labouring  under  a  strange  mis- 
take," Duke  continued.  "  Mrs.  Crofton  is  Mr.  Mark's 
wife,  and  I  shall  be  much  obliged  if  you  will  make  this 
known  at  once." 


278  OLIVE   TRACY 

For  a  moment  Baker  stood  stupefied,  then  she  burst 
into  floods  of  tears. 

"  Oh  Mr.  Duke — forgive  me  for  calling  you  by  the 
old  name — oh,  I  am  so  happy — how  could  we  think  you 
could  choose  such  a  lady  !  It  doesn't  matter  to  us  now, 
where  she  has  gone,  it  was  the  thoughts  of  you  that  well 
nigh  broke  my  heart !  " 

Duke's  face  softened. 

"You  are  a  silly  old  woman  !  "  he  said.  "Now  go; 
and  for  Mr.  Mark's  honour,  contradict  this  miserable 
gossip  that  is  going  about.  Mrs.  Crofton  may  have 
travelled  up  by  the  same  train  as  Mr.  Mordaunt,  but  it 
can  have  only  been  a  coincidence." 

Baker  withdrew  in  a  tearfully  happy  state  of  mind ; 
and  her  news  was  received  in  the  servants'  hall  with 
amazement  and  delight. 

Then  Duke  went  straight  down  to  Crofton  Court 
Cottage  ;  a  small  residence  on  the  outskirts  of  one  of  his 
father's  woods,  which  had  always  been  occupied  by  the 
agent. 

Interrogation  and  inspection  there  did  not  reassure 
him  ;  he  heard  many  things  that  he  would  rather  not 
have  heard,  and  Cora  sunk  lower  in  his  estimation  in 
consequence.  He  came  back  to  the  house,  burdened 
and  distressed,  and  had  great  difficulty  in  keeping  this 
last  misfortune  from  his  father's  ears. 

But  when  Sir  Marmaduke  eventually  heard  that  his 
agent  had  decamped,  he  was  so  anxious  that  his  son 
should  look  into  all  his  business  affairs,  that  Cora's 
departure  was  forgotten.  And  Duke  found  himself 
overwhelmed  with  all  that  he  had  to  do.  It  was  not 
surprising,  that  before  two  or  three  days  had  passed,  a 


FLIGHT  279 

doctor  was  in  attendance,  absolutely  forbidding  him  to 
touch  any  business  matters. 

Duke  groaned ;  as  with  throbbing  head  and  confused 
brain,  he  tossed  on  his  pillows.  He  had  seen  enough 
of  his  father's  affairs  to  discover  that  his  late  agent  had 
been  quietly  and  systematically  robbing  him.  And  Cora's 
unfaithfulness  to  his  brother,  her  apparent  departure 
with  this  man,  and  the  many  facts  about  her  close  com- 
panionship with  him,  all  seemed  to  bewilder  and  oppress 
him.  He  was  impatient  of  his  own  weakness,  and  the 
express  orders  from  his  doctor  that  he  was  not  to  do 
anything,  not  to  worry,  and  not  to  see  any  one,  were 
irritating  in  the  extreme.  At  the  bottom  of  his  heart, 
he  had  a  longing  to  go  straight  to  Olive,  and  right  him- 
self in  her  eyes.  Why  had  she  been  so  ready  to  believe 
it  of  him,  so  ready  to  pass  the  news  round  ? 

Cora's  scornful  words  rang  in  his  ears,  "  She  was 
not  at  all  surprised,  why  should  she  be  ?  " 

He  tossed  on  his  bed  with  feverish  impatience,  and 
after  two  or  three  days  of  enforced  rest,  defied  the 
doctor  and  walked  out  of  his  room. 

"  I  shall  go  out  of  my  mind  if  you  condemn  me  to 
such  solitude,"  he  said  to  him,  as  he  met  him  on  the  stairs. 

The  doctor  shook  his  head. 

"  I  ought  to  have  put  you  in  charge  of  a  nurse,"  he 
said  with  a  comical  twinkle  in  his  eye.  "  They  always 
obtain  an  authority  over  the  patient  that  I  cannot  ar- 
rive at !  Now  take  a  last  word  from  me.  Go  out  for  a 
ride  or  drive,  but  no  business,  if  you  value  your  head- 
piece, for  at  least  a  week.  I  have  warned  Sir  Marma- 
duke,  and  he  has  promised  not  to  transgress  again  in  this 
respect." 


28o  OLIVE   TRACY 

Duke  strode  out  at  the  open  door,  and  the  soft  spring 
air  seemed  to  give  him  fresh  life  at  once. 

It  was  a  bright  sunshiny  afternoon  and  he  turned  to- 
wards the  stables  instinctively,  with  the  words  in  his 
heart,  if  not  on  his  lips,  "  I  will  ride  over  to  Orchard 
Farm.  I  cannot  keep  away  from  her  any  longer." 

He  had  barely  given  orders  for  his  horse  to  be  brought 
round,  when  a  message  was  given  to  him  from  Sir 
Marmaduke  wishing  to  see  him  at  once. 

A  shade  came  over  his  face,  as  he  re-entered  the 
house,  yet  it  was  gone  when  he  opened  the  door  of  his 
father's  room,  and  he  greeted  him  with  a  cheerful  smile. 

"  I  heard  you  were  out  of  your  room,"  Sir  Marmaduke 
said  anxiously,  "  and  I  am  not  going  to  ask  you  to  go 
through  business  papers  with  me,  for  Dr.  Clayton  has 
forbidden  it;  but  I  am  in  great  trouble,  and  I  have  no 
one  to  advise  me  as  to  what  I  ought  to  do." 

"Well  here  I  am,"  his  son  said.  "Two  heads  are 
better  than  one.  What  is  it  ?  " 

"Your  mother's  pearls — the  Crofton  pearls  I  should 
say.  They  are  gone,  and  that  wretched  woman  is  at 
the  bottom  of  it." 

"  Not  Cora  ?  Oh  I  think  not,  father.  You  must  be 
mistaken." 

"  I  have  been  a  fool,"  the  old  man  groaned ;  "  but  my 
memory  is  not  what  it  was.  She  took  possession  of 
your  mother's  jewels,  and  there  was  some  question  about 
Baker.  I  forget  now  the  circumstances — but  in  any 
case,  I  took  back  the  jewel  case  from  her  and  locked  it 
up  in  my  cabinet  here ;  but  in  doing  so  I  discovered  that 
the  pearls  were  missing.  That  was  a  long  time  ago. 
She  told  me  she  had  taken  them  to  the  jeweller's  in 


FLIGHT  281 

town  to  have  the  clasp  repaired.  I  was  very  angry  at 
her  letting  them  go  out  of  her  hands,  and  told  her  they 
must  be  fetched  back  immediately.  She  promised  me 
that  she  would  see  about  it,  and  from  that  day  to  this  I 
have  completely  forgotten  the  occurrence.  I  have  asked 
Baker  to  search  her  room  thoroughly,  but  she  has  been 
unsuccessful  so  far.  The  pearls  are  nowhere  to  be 
found." 

Father  and  son  looked  at  each  other  for  a  moment  in 
silence;  then  Duke  remarked  : 

"  They  are  so  valuable  that  they  will  be  easy  to  trace. 
To  what  jeweller  did  Cora  say  she  had  taken  them  ?  " 

"  To  J-    -  in  Bond  Street." 

"  I  had  better  go  up  to  town  and  see  him  at  once  ?  " 

"  And  if  you  don't  find  them  there  ?  " 

"  Shall  I  put  it  into  the  hands  of  Scotland  Yard  ?  " 

Again  there  was  a  silence,  and  Sir  Marmaduke  per- 
ceptibly trembled. 

"  My  son's  wife — bearing  the  Crofton  name — we  shall 
never  hold  up  our  heads  again  !  " 

Then  Duke  squared  his  shoulders,  with  fresh  courage. 

"  Look  here,  father,  we  won't  think  the  worst.  I 
shall  do  nothing  rash.  Her  story  may  be  a  true  one.  I 
shall  go  and  investigate  it.  I  will  go  up  to  town  the 
first  thing  to-morrow  morning ;  and  will  bring  back  my 
report  to  you  before  we  resort  to  extreme  measures.  I 
hope  the  servants  here  haven't  got  wind  of  it." 

"  Baker  knows ;  she  has  been  here  talking  to  me,  but 
I  told  her  to  keep  it  to  herself,  and  I  think  she  will." 

This  last  stroke  of  ill-fortune  seemed  to  have  thor- 
oughly unnerved  Sir  Marmaduke.  His  son  put  off  his 
ride,  and  sat  in  his  father's  room  for  the  rest  of  the  day, 


282 OLIVE   TRACY 

leading  his  thoughts  into  other  channels,  and  beguiling 
the  time  by  relating  some  of  his  South  African  experi- 
ences. 

The  next  day  he  started  for  town,  and  Sir  Marma- 
duke  anxiously  and  impatiently  awaited  the  result. 

It  proved  a  fruitless  journey  as  far  as  the  pearls  were 
concerned,  for  the  jeweller  had  never  received  them  ;  and 
Duke  sauntered  down  Bond  Street  with  gloom  and 
despondency  stamped  upon  his  features. 

Suddenly  he  was  confronted  by  Vinny  who  was  shop- 
ping in  her  brougham. 

"  You  are  looking  a  perfect  wreck,"  she  said  ;  "  you 
must  come  back  and  lunch  with  me.  How  is  your 
father  and — your  wife  ?  " 

"  I  have  none,"  he  returned  quietly. 

Vinny  looked  at  him  in  consternation  ;  then  compelled 
him  to  get  into  the  brougham. 

"  Now  Duke,"  she  said,  "  we  have  grown  up  together 
like  brother  and  sister,  tell  me  all  about  it.  Wild 
rumours  have  reached  me  already,  but  I  won't  believe 
them.  Has  Mrs.  Crofton  left  you  ?  " 

Duke  leant  back  in  the  brougham,  and  gave  a  tired 
sigh. 

"  I  am  beginning  to  wish  myself  back  in  Africa,"  he 
said.  "You  have  captured  me,  so  I  suppose  I  must  do 
your  bidding." 

"Not  unless  it  will  ease  your  mind,"  said  Vinny 
softly  ;  "  but  for  c  auld  lang  syne,'  give  me  a  chance  of 
doing  something  towards  helping — or  comforting  you." 

There  was  a  little  silence,  then  Duke  said  huskily, 

"  I  will  tell  you  all.  God  knows  how  I  have  wanted 
a  woman's  help  since  my  return !  There  is  such  an 


FLIGHT  283 

awful  blank  without  my  mother,  and  my  poor  old  father 
has  but  a  broken  reed  to  lean  upon  in  me  !  I  feel  some- 
times as  if  my  wits  have  left  me  altogether.  Weak- 
ness, Clayton  says  it  is,  but  it  is  rather  unfortunate  at 
this  crisis." 

In  a  few  terse  words  he  told  her  all ;  even  down  to 
his  fruitless  errand  in  Bond  Street  that  day,  and  Vinny 
listened  with  interest,  sympathy  and  alertness,  and  with 
an  undercurrent  of  intense  relief  that  Cora  was  not  his 
wife. 

"  It  is  an  extraordinary  story,"  she  said ;  "  but  I  can 
give  you  one  bit  of  information,  and  that  is  that  Mark 
has  been  in  London,  for  I  saw  him  talking  to  Mrs. 
Crofton  myself,  at  Paddington  Station,  though  she  de- 
nied it  when  I  mentioned  the  fact  to  her." 

"  I  believe  she  has  gone  to  him." 

Vinny  was  silent,  then  she  said,  "  We  will  be  chari- 
table and  hope  so.  Perhaps  that  Mr.  Mordaunt  was 
some  friend  of  Mark's.  It  may  have  been  a  deeply  laid 
plan  to  get  money  out  of  your  father ;  and  when  you 
returned,  they  both  left  and  joined  Mark  in  town.  I 
think  I  can  make  a  suggestion  about  the  pearls.  They 
are  such  valuable  ones,  that  I  believe  they  would  soon 
make  their  way  to  the  pearl  connoisseur  in  town.  I 
have  his  address.  It  is  somewhere  in  the  city.  If  you 
come  back  with  me  I  will  give  it  to  you.  You  can  but 
try  there." 

"  Thank  you.  I  will  make  one  more  effort,  and  if 
that  fails  I  must  go  home  and  consult  my  father." 

"  You  ought  to  be  in  bed,"  said  Vinny  looking  at  him 
scrutinisingly.  "  Who  looks  after  you  ?  Any  one  ?  " 

u  Every  one,"  said  Duke  with  a  short  laugh. 


284  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  Have  you  seen  Diogenes  and  Olive  yet  ?  " 

"  I  have  seen  Olive  once." 

Duke's  tone  was  calmness  itself;  but  it  did  not  de- 
ceive Vinny. 

"  She  is  settling  down  to  quite  an  ideal  old  maid's  life 
at  the  Farm.  I  wish  I  could  change  places  with  her. 
We  live  in  such  a  rush.  Even  at  this  empty  time  we 
always  seem  to  be  entertaining.  I  have  a  small  l  at 
home '  on  this  afternoon.  If  you  will  stay  you  will  see 
Elsie.  She  is  out  to  lunch,  but  she  will  be  back  in  time 
to  help  me  receive." 

Duke  declined  this  invitation  with  thanks,  and  would 
not  even  stay  to  lunch,  though  Vinny  pressed  him  sorely. 

"  It  is  such  a  treat  to  see  a  *  Blackenbury '  face  again, 
and  I  think  we  do  each  other  mutual  good.  Do  not  be 
so  downcast.  Mrs.  Crofton  is  doubtless  with  her  hus- 
band. I  should  say  from  what  I  saw  of  her  that  she  is 
more  weak  than  wicked.  I  felt  sorry  for  her." 

They  had  some  further  talk ;  and  then  Duke  went  on 
to  the  city,  Vinny  begging  him  to  come  to  her  the  next 
time  he  was  up  in  town. 

"  I  am  not  a  talker,"  she  said  to  him  with  one  of  her 
slow  sweet  smiles.  "  I  listen  and  hold  my  tongue. 
Your  confidence  will  be  held  sacred.  But  may  I  ask  if 
I  may  contradict  the  report  of  your  marriage  ?  " 

"  Most  certainly.     I  shall  be  deeply  grateful  to  you." 


CHAPTER  XXV 
ELSIE'S  CHOICE 

Howe'er  man  rules  in  science  and  in  art, 
The  sphere  of  woman's  glories  is  the  heart. 

— T.  Moore. 

IT  was  a  week  later.  Again  Vinny  was  entertaining 
her  friends  with  music  and  tea;  and  Elsie,  in  radiant 
spirits,  was  the  centre  of  attraction. 

She  was  holding  a  spirited  conversation  with  three  or 
four  of  her  most  constant  admirers,  when  a  newcomer 
caused  her  to  look  up  in  astonishment. 

"  Is  it  your  Grace  ? "  she  said,  holding  out  her  hand. 
"  Vinny  told  me  she  had  met  you  the  other  day,  but  she 
hardly  hoped  to  see  you  to-day." 

u  I  came  to  speak  to  her  on  business,"  said  Duke 
simply,  as  he  took  a  chair  by  her  side.  "  I  am  afraid 
I  must  not  expect  to  monopolise  her  society  at  present. 
I  have  shaken  hands,  and  passed  on.  She  is  surrounded. 
Are  your  rooms  as  full  as  this  every  afternoon  ? " 

"  If  you  were  here  in  the  season,  you  might  call  them 
full,  not  now,  I  think.  Are  you  convalescent  ?  Vinny 
was  longing  to  order  you  to  bed  the  other  day.  She 
told  me  you  were  a  perfect  shadow.  I  suppose  you 
have  really  been  very  bad  ?  " 

"  I  am  feeling  very  fit  again.  If  I  may  be  allowed 
to  make  a  personal  remark  in  return,  I  never  saw  you 
look  better." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Elsie  smiling.  "  I  am  enjoying 
285 


286  OLIVE   TRACY 

life  at  present.  I  am  told  by  wise-acres  that  my  enjoy- 
ment will  not  last.  Even  Mr.  Dacre  here  prophesies  a 
different  fate  ere  long.  How  long  do  you  give  me  ?  " 

She  turned  to  a  dark-haired  sallow  man,  leaning 
against  the  wall  at  her  side.  He  raised  his  eyebrows. 
41  One  year — bliss — two — disillusions — three — bored  to 
death ! " 

44  And  how  many  years  have  you  had  ? "  she  asked 
him  briskly. 

44  Oh,  best  not  ask,"  he  drawled.  4t  I  died  a  natural 
death  long  ago,  but  have  lately  come  to  life  again." 

Duke  did  not  like  the  glance  that  accompanied  these 
words.  But  Elsie  sparkled  still  with  animation. 

44  Your  resurrection  is  a  very  slow  process,"  she  said. 

44  Slow  and  sure,"  was  his  retort. 

44 1  am  told,"  Elsie  said  turning  to  Duke;  "that  your 
face  soon  dates  your  number  of  seasons  in  town.  I  look 
at  mine  every  morning  to  see  if  I  can  see  a  sign  of  the 
orthodox  expression  that  comes  with  experience.  It  is 
supposed  to  express :  4 1  am  the  best  dressed  here,  I 
can't  help  it.  I  confer  you  a  favour  by  my  presence, 
I  can't  help  it.  I  am  altogether  superior  to  my  sur- 
roundings, I  can't  help  it.  I  am  unutterably  bored,  I 
can't  help  it.'  At  present,  your  Grace,  I  am  a  novice. 
As  Mr.  Dacre  puts  it,  it  is  my  year  of 4  bliss.' ' 

Then  she  rose  from  her  seat,  and  invited  Duke  in 
winning  tones  to  come  and  see  the  fernery. 

44  You  are  changed,"  he  said,  as  he  walked  by  her 
side. 

44  For  the  better,  I  presume.  Don't  be  like  Diogenes 
and  shake  your  head  over  me  !  Isn't  it  possible  to  be 
always  happy  in  this  world  ?  " 


ELSIE'S  CHOICE 287 

There  was  a  little  wistfulness  in  her  tone. 

"Yes,"  Duke  replied,  and  a  light  came  into  his  eyes 
as  he  spoke.  "  It  ought  to  be  an  expanding  happiness 
with  an  expanding  growth." 

"I  think  I  have  expanded  since  I  left  home,"  Elsie 
said  serenely. 

"There  is  something  radically  wrong  in  any  life," 
said  Duke  warmly,  "  that  deteriorates.  A  life  is  meant 
to  get  fuller,  not  emptier  as  time  passes  by.  We  never 
cease  growing;  and  for  happiness  and  freshness  to  be 
the  monopoly  of  youth  and  inexperience,  is  wrong  and 
absurd." 

"  I  am  glad  I  have  one  advocate  on  my  side,"  said 
Elsie ;  "  I  watch  and  take  note  of  a  good  deal.  And  I 
think  it  is  fashionable  to  assume  a  fatigue  and  indiffer- 
ence to  everything  and  everybody.  It  is  a  fashion  I 
will  not  follow." 

"  It  is  well  to  get  our  life's  supplies  through  a  source 
outside  our  circumstances,"  went  on  Duke,  "  for  we 
sometimes  get  hemmed  in  by  them,  and  our  sphere  is 
narrowed  uncomfortably." 

"  Now  you  are  talking  like  Diogenes.  Have  you 
seen  him  ? " 

"  Not  yet." 

"  They  are  a  quaint  household,"  said  Elsie.  "  I  can- 
not think  how  Olive  can  be  so*  content — three  anti- 
quated ignorant  rustics,  and  an  imp  of  mischief  dancing 
round  !  She  and  Diogenes  are  completely  shut  up  to 
each  other's  society.  Yet  she  looks  as  happy  as  ever. 
Such  a  little  contents  her.  She  always  used  to  say,  I 
remember,  that  good  health  and  a  good  digestion  were 
what  constituted  happiness." 


288  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  Yet  she  was  so  fond  of  your  home.  It  must  have 
been  a  trial  leaving  it." 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  it  was,  but  Olive  takes  everything 
very  philosophically.  And  I  think  she  has  become  good 
now." 

Elsie  added  this  last  assertion  with  a  grimace  of  disgust. 

"  That  is  a  misfortune  indeed,"  observed  Duke  drily. 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  for  certain  !  She  wrote  me  an 
ecstatic  letter  last  spring  after  I  left  home.  I  told  her 
I  couldn't  understand  a  word  of  it,  and  asked  her  not  to 
repeat  it.  She  has  not,  but  Vinny  stayed  a  week  with 
her  lately,  and  came  back  very  depressed.  I  asked  her 
why  she  was  so  dull,  and  she  said  she  wished  she  could 
get  her  life  adjusted  rightly  as  Olive  had.  I  think  those 
were  the  words, — c  adjusted  rightly.'  Well,  my  life  is 
that  at  present." 

"  Seen  from  your  mirror,  I  suppose  it  is." 

"  What  other  mirror  should  I  use  ?  " 

They  were  standing  in  the  fernery,  opposite  a  window 
which  was  partly  open,  and  Duke,  without  a  word,  raised 
his  hand  to  the  sky  above,  which,  early  though  it  was, 
seemed  alight  with  innumerable  shining  stars. 

Elsie  shrugged  her  shoulders  and  led  the  way  back  to 
the  drawing-room. 

A  little  later,  and  Duke  was  able  to  get  speech  with 
Vinny. 

"  I  come  with  good  news,"  he  said.  "  I  have  found 
them." 

Vinny  was  delighted.  "  Oh"  do  tell  me.  I  am  long- 
ing to  hear.  Wait  till  this  good  lady  takes  her  depar- 
ture, and  then  I  shall  be  free.  We  will  come  into  the 
library,  for  we  shall  be  undisturbed." 


ELSIE'S  CHOICE  289 

"  It  is  you  who  set  me  on  the  right  track,"  Duke  said 
as  soon  as  they  were  alone.  "  I  went  to  your  man,  and 
he  said  he  would  make  inquiries  amongst  several  firms 
he  was  in  the  habit  of  dealing  with.  He  sent  me  a  wire 
this  morning,  and  I  came  up.  I  discovered  the  pearls, 
and  the  particulars  of  their  appearance.  I  am  telling 
you  this  in  deepest  confidence.  Mark  himself  took 
them  to  the  firm  requesting  a  loan  on  them.  He  did 
not  conceal  his  identity,  for  our  pearls  are,  as  you  know, 
famous.  He  said  since  our  mother's  death  they  had 
become  the  property  of  his  wife,  and  he  wished  to  raise 
a  temporary  loan,  which  was  accordingly  given." 

"  Oh  I  am  so  thankful.  And  you  are  taking  them 
home  ? " 

"  No,"  said  Duke  gravely.  "  I  am  not  in  a  position 
to  redeem  them  at  present.  It  will  be  a  matter  of  time, 
but  I  have  left  them  in  safe  hands.  I  am  afraid  Mark  is 
at  the  bottom  of  a  good  deal  more  than  I  imagined." 

"  Yes,"  said  Vinny  thoughtfully.  "  And  his  wife  was 
his  tool.  I  pity  her  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart !  " 

Duke  paced  the  room,  then  he  turned  round  with  fire 
in  his  eyes. 

"  He  has  dragged  our  honour  in  the  dust,  the  Crofton 
name  is  besmirched  with  dishonesty  and  fraud.  Do  you 
think  I  should  ever  have  the  right  to  ask  a  woman  to 
share  such  a  name  ?  " 

"  I  should  leave  that  question  with  the  woman," 
Vinny  said  gravely.  "  I  always  think  it  very  unfair  not 
to  lay  such  a  matter  frankly  before  her." 

"  But  it  would  place  her  so  awkwardly." 

"  I  don't  see  it.  A  woman  has  no  difficulty  in  giving 
an  answer  at  such  a  time.  You  are  not  responsible  for 


290  OLIVE   TRACY 

your  brother's  faults.  And  it  is  morbid  to  fancy  you 
ought  to  suffer  all  your  life,  and  perhaps  make  another 
suffer  too,  for  his  wrong-doing." 

Duke  relapsed  into  silence.  He  seemed  to  forget 
where  he  was,  and  sat  like  a  man  ih  a  dream,  his 
thoughts  far  away  from  his  surroundings. 

Vinny  watched  him  smiling,  and  presently  she  said, 
"  Well  what  do  you  think  of  Elsie  ?  " 

"  Oh,"  he  said  rousing  himself  with  an  effort,  "  I 
think  she  is  a  different  being.  And  yet  if  I  may  say  it, 
I  think  I  prefer  the  quiet  sleepy  Elsie  of  old." 

"  You  mustn't  tell  Elsie  that.  She  has  the  greatest 
contempt  for  herself,  as  she  was  a  year  ago." 

"  Is  she  living  with  you  altogether  ?  " 

"  For  the  present.  My  husband  has  become  accus- 
tomed to  her  and  likes  her.  She  has  brought  a  bright 
young  atmosphere  into  the  house.  I  should  miss  her 
very  much  if  she  were  to  leave  us." 

"  You  must  expect  that  one  day." 

"  I  suppose  so." 

Then  Duke  rose,  and  took  his  leave,  and  Vinny,  with 
a  little  tired  sigh,  went  back  to  the  drawing-room. 

She  found  Elsie  alone  with  a  young  fellow,  Cyril 
Delamere  by  name,  and  upon  her  entrance  Elsie  rose, 
confused  and  blushing,  from  her  seat. 

Cyril  stepped  quicklj^  forward.  He  was  a  tall,  hand- 
some young  barrister,  more  popular  in  society  than  in 
his  profession,  and  he  had  been  a  constant  visitor  at  the 
house  for  the  past  few  months.  Vinny  had  been  a  little 
anxious  about  his  evident  admiration  for  her  young  sister. 
She  knew  his  family  expected  him  to  marry  well,  and 
though  of  a  good  old  county  family  themselves,  they 


ELSIE'S  CHOICE  291 

were  forced  to  think  more  of  money  than  of  birth.  Two 
of  their  daughters  had  married  wealthy  city  men.  There 
were  three  others  still  unmarried,  and  Cyril  was  the  only 
son.  She  had  cautioned  Elsie  as  gently  as  she  dared 
against  him,  as  she  had  felt  that  Cyril  was  too  much  a 
man  of  the  world  to  mean  anything  serious. 

Now  as  he  came  to  meet  her,  she  knew  that  she  had 
been  mistaken. 

"  Mrs.  Stanton,  will  you  welcome  me  as  a  brother-in- 
law?  Yovr  sister  has  listened  to  me  at  last." 

Vinny  tried  to  throw  warmth  into  her  congratulations, 
but  she  was  too  taken  aback  to  say  much,  and  Elsie 
came  to  her  rescue. 

"  Never  mind,  Vinny.  It  is  a  surprise,  isn't  it  ?  But 
Cyril  and  I  know  we  shall  have  your  good  wishes." 

Elsie  looked  flushed  and  radiant,  and  Vinny  could 
only  kiss  her,  murmuring  : 

"  Indeed  I  hope  you  will  be  happy  together." 

But  late  that  evening,  she  had  a  talk  with  Cyril  alone, 
and  asked  him  if  his  parents  had  any  knowledge  of  the 
step  he  was  taking. 

"  You  are  not  either  of  you  wealthy,"  she  said  with 
a  little  smile ;  "  but  I  suppose  it  is  too  late  for  me  to 
make  any  objections.  As  I  stand  in  a  mother's  stead  to 
Elsie,  may  I  ask  what  your  prospects  are  ? " 

Cyril  treated  the  matter  lightly.  He  told  her  he  was 
a  free  agent,  and  had  enough  means  of  his  own  to 
support  a  wife. 

"We  shall  not  set  up  an  establishment  in  Grosvenor 
Square,  but  Elsie  is  not  ambitious,  and  is  content  with 
what  I  can  give  her.  My  parents  will  be  told  at  once. 
I  could  hardly  tell  them  before  I  had  spoken  to  your 


292  OLIVE   TRACY 

sister.  I  was  not  quite  so  presuming  as  to  forestall  her 
answer,  for  I  know  I  haven't  much  to  recommend  me 
beyond  a  fair  share  of  brains.  I  am  hoping  to  rise  in 
my  profession,  and  shall  be  a  Q.C.  by-and-by.  I  shall 
go  home  to-morrow,  and  then  I  hope,  as  my  mother  is 
an  invalid,  your  sister  will  be  kind  enough  to  go  and 
stay  with  her  for  a  few  days." 

Elsie's  fate  seemed  settled,  and  Vinny  wisely  made 
the  best  of  it.  She  wrote  a  long  letter  to  Olive,  and 
Elsie  did  the  same,  which  letters  were  naturally  a  great 
surprise. 

Life  at  the  Farm  had  gone  on  very  quietly  for  the  last 
week  or  two,  and  then  one  day  Baker  appeared  with  her 
astounding  news. 

Olive  listened  with  intense  quietness  to  the  account 
of  Cora's  identity  being  discovered  ;  but  after  Baker  had 
gone,  she  put  on  her  hat  and  set  off  along  the  country 
roads,  to  get  away  from  everybody.  After  the  long 
struggle,  the  news  stunned  and  bewildered  her.  She 
could  hardly  take  it  in ;  and  her  first  feeling  was  one  of 
wonder  why  she  had  been  allowed  to  suffer  so.  She 
walked  on  rapidly,  not  heeding  the  gathering  dusk,  for 
her  heart  was  in  a  tumult.  At  last,  coming  to  an  old 
stone  bridge,  it  took  her  back  in  thought  to  that  spring 
morning  so  long  ago  in  Blackenbury,  and  leaning  her 
head  against  it  she  burst  into  a  passion  of  tears.  They 
did  her  good.  Her  thoughts  and  feelings  had  been  so 
restrained  by  her  indomitable  pride,  that  it  now  seemed 
the  greatest  relief  to  her  to  let  them  run  on  unchecked. 
At  last  she  murmured,  "  It  is  no  longer  sin  to  think  of 
him." 

And  then  with  an  effort  she  pulled  herself  together, 


ELSIE'S  CHOICE  293 

and  with  tearful  happy  eyes  retraced  her  steps  home- 
wards through  the  gloom.  A  fancy  took  her  when  she 
reached  the  Farm,  to  go  out  into  the  old  walled  kitchen 
garden.  It  was  there  that  she  had  wrestled  in  the  first 
agony  of  her  trouble ;  it  was  there  that  she  had  received 
the  grace  and  strength  to  carry  her  burden  with  resigna- 
tion and  cheerfulness. 

The  garden  lay  in  silence ;  the  fruit  trees  on  the  wall 
extended  their  snow-white  blossoms  along  it,  lightening 
the  dark  shadows,  and  refreshing  the  evening  air  with 
their  fragrant  scent.  It  was  a  still  sweet  time,  when 
the  birds'  voices  were  hushed  in  sleep,  and  the  dew 
wrapped  the  plants  and  flowers  in  its  soft  reviving  em- 
brace. Olive  walked  there  with  a  glow  in  her  heart 
that  glorified  her  surroundings.  She  lifted  up  her  small 
proud  head  with  a  gesture  of  freedom  and  relief.  As 
she  gazed  up  into  the  infinite  blue,  studded  with  shining 
stars,  she  seemed  to  have  a  fresh  realisation  of  her 
insignificance,  and  of  the  wonderful  protecting  love  of 
her  Creator.  The  words  came  to  her : 

"  Lo  these  are  parts  of  His  ways,  but  how  little  a  por- 
tion is  heard  of  Him." 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

A    DISAPPOINTMENT 

Be  patient !     Time  will  reinstate 
Thy  health  and  fortunes. — Longfellow. 

ELSIE'S  engagement  was  a  great  source  of  interest  to 
Olive  at  this  time.  She  was  talking  over  it  with  Os- 
mond, when  he  said : 

"  His  Grace  seems  going  about  town.  They  have 
mentioned  him  once  or  twice.  I  wonder  he  hasn't  been 
over  to  see  us.  We  are  such  old  friends." 

The  same  thought  had  struck  Olive,  only  she  could 
not  have  put  it  into  words.  No  one  but  herself,  knew 
how,  as  every  morning  dawned,  she  said  in  her  heart, 
"  He  may  come  to-day."  She  was  still  hoping  and 
waiting,  and  knew  from  Osmond's  tone  that  he  was 
feeling  a  little  hurt  about  it. 

"  He  has  been  very  busy,"  she  suggested. 

"  Not  too  busy  to  attend  one  of  Vinny's  afternoon 
gatherings." 

"  He  may  have  had  business  in  town.  Besides  we 
must  remember  he  is  not  really  well  yet.  Baker  told 
me  the  doctor  is  very  anxious  that  he  should  not  overdo 
it." 

"  I  should  think  a  quiet  ride  over  here  would  be  less 
fatiguing  than  knocking  about  town." 

"  He  hasn't  forgotten  you,  Diogenes.  Think  of  what 
he  must  have  to  do,  and  all  that  has  happened  at  the 
Court.  Cora  disappearing,  and  the  agent,  and  all  Sir 

294 


A  DISAPPOINTMENT  295 

Marmaduke's  business  affairs  in  the  most  hopeless  con- 
dition. I  can  picture  it  so  well,  and  Sir  Marmaduke's 
own  helplessness  makes  him  very  fidgetty  and  exacting." 

Osmond  gave  a  grunt. 

"  Out  of  sight,  out  of  mind  !  "  he  said.  "  We  are 
buried  alive  here." 

Then  Olive  laughed  merrily. 

"  I  am  so  delighted  when  you  are  human  like  the  rest 
of  us,  Diogenes.  Do  go  on.  It  does  me  good  to  hear 
you  growl." 

Osmond  smiled  in  spite  of  himself. 

"  Well,  I  did  think  we  should  come  first,"  he  said. 
"  My  self-importance  has  received  a  blow." 

Olive  was  puzzled,  but  not  distressed.  It  was  such 
an  intense  relief  to  realise  that  his  life  was  not  tied  to 
Cora's,  that  for  his  sake  alone  she  could  not  but  rejoice. 

"  If  I  never  see  him  again  I  shall  be  glad,"  she  said 
softly  to  herself. 

And  she  went  about  her  daily  duties  singing  like  a 
bird.  The  shadow,  if  there  was  any  at  this  time,  was 
from  the  war  news  day  by  day,  and  a  little  anxiety  on 
Elsie's  account.  A  letter  came  from  her  giving  Olive 
rather  a  ludicrous  description  of  her  fiance's  home  and 
family,  with  whom  she  had  been  staying,  but  which 
description  was  more  amusing  than  kind.  She  seemed 
to  be  as  radiant  and  self-confident  as  usual,  but  Olive 
began  to  wonder  whether  her  present  life  was  not  har- 
dening some  of  her  more  tender  characteristics. 

She  began  musing  over  the  different  circumstances  in 
which  she  and  her  younger  sister  had  been  respectively 
placed.  Elsie  had  had  a  year  of  sunny  prosperity,  with 
no  cares  or  responsibilities,  crowned  at  last  by  the  love 


296  OLIVE   TRACY 

of  one  who  was  dear  to  her.  As  Olive  read  her  letter 
she  winced  a  little  at  the  easy  and  assured  way  in  which 
Elsie  laid  down  her  future  ;  the  certainty  that  her  plans 
and  purposes  would  be  fulfilled. 

"  You  ask  me  to  tell  you  more  about  Cyril,"  she 
wrote.  "  I  am  not  going  to  gush  over  him  !  He  makes 
my  life  at  present,  and  I  make  his.  Vinny  views  matri- 
mony with  gloomy  eyes ;  I  have  no  fears  for  our  future. 
We  shall  not  be  in  a  hurry  to  settle  down  as  married 
folks  for  a  long  time  yet.  His  people,  as  I  have  told 
you,  shake  their  heads  over  us.  They  tried  to  make  me 
see  the  harm  I  was  doing  him  by  tying  him  to  an  al- 
most portionless  woman,  but  I  loftily  ignored  their  hints 
and  efforts  in  that  direction.  Some  one  told  me  the 
other  day  that  I  was  surrendering  my  liberty  too  soon. 
I  told  them  I  should  never  surrender  it.  A  married 
woman  can  be  far  more  independent  than  a  single  one. 
Then  a  little  old  lady  was  shocked.  '  My  dear,'  she 
said  ;  l  wives  ought  never  to  be  independent  of  their  hus- 
bands. They  are  the  weaker  sex  !  '  But  much  as  I 
think  of  Cyril's  good  qualities,  I  cannot  echo  that.  I  am 
his  equal  I  consider  in  most  things ;  his  superior  in  some. 
And  he  knows  that  when  we  row  in  the  same  boat  I 
shall  do  as  much  pulling  as  he." 

This  and  more  in  the  same  style  made  Olive  look 
grave  as  she  read  it ;  but  she  presently  laughed  at  her 
fears. 

"  I  am  getting  a  dull  commonplace  woman,"  she  said 
to  herself  with  a  little  laugh.  "  I  feel  ten  years  older 
than  this  time  last  year.  How  much  has  happened  in 
it !  Elsie  thinks  I  am  vegetating.  Perhaps  I  am,  but  I 
would  not  exchange  places  with  her.  She  is  getting 


A  DISAPPOINTMENT  297 

younger  in  spirit,  I  am  getting  older.  And  we  shall 
drift  further  and  further  apart.  Yet  I  remember  the 
days  when  I  chafed  against  her  stolid  sleepy  moods,  and 
longed  to  quicken  her  into  life.  That  has  been  done  by 
other  means  than  mine.  But  I  wonder  when  trouble  or 
care  comes  to  her  how  she  will  bear  it ! " 

She  said  something  of  this  sort  to  Osmond,  adding, 
"  I  cannot  help  feeling  a  little  anxious  about  her.  She 
would  laugh  at  me,  I  expect,  but  I  do  hope  he  is  a  nice 
man  and  will  make  a  good  husband  ;  not  one  of  these 
town  men  who  love  nothing  but  gay  society." 

"  I  don't  think  Elsie  would  marry  a  man  without 
brains,"  Osmond  said  slowly. 

"  They  are  not  all  brainless,  but  look  at  Vinny's  mar- 
riage. It  is  not  a  happy  one." 

"  No,  I  suppose  not.  Yet  Vinny  has  a  difficult  na- 
ture. It  is  one  that  will  always  be  craving  for  things  be- 
yond its  reach." 

"  Always  ?  " 

"  I  know  one  thing  that  might  satisfy  it." 

"  Ah  yes,  and  it  would.  Dear  Vinny  !  she  is  so  af- 
fectionate, so  sweet,  I  long  that  her  life  should  be 
brighter.  But  I  can't  help  fearing  about  Elsie.  I  think 
her  present  life  is  almost  intoxicating  to  her.  I  should 
be  afraid  of  her  acting  rashly,  without  sufficient  reflec- 
tion." 

"  Does  a  woman  reflect  much  when  she  falls  in 
love  ?  " 

Olive  laughed.  "  Perhaps  she  doesn't.  But  in  Elsie's 
present  mood  she  would  see  every  one  through  rose- 
coloured  spectacles.  I  feel  from  Vinny's  letter  to  me 
that  she  is  a  little  anxious  over  it." 


298  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  Elsie  will  have  to  buy  her  experience,"  said  Os- 
mond. 

41  Spoken  like  Diogenes  !  " 

And  Olive  changed  the  subject. 

The  very  next  afternoon  Olive  took  Ida  with  her  to 
visit  an  old  farmer  who  was  sick.  He  lived  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  village,  so  she  told  Osmond  not  to  expect 
her  back  to  tea,  as  his  wife  would  be  sure  to  ask  her  to 
stay  with  them. 

Half  an  hour  after  she  had  started  Duke  arrived  on 
horseback.  He  looked  very  disappointed  when  he  heard 
from  Miss  March  that  Olive  was  absent,  but  went  into 
the  sitting-room  and  Osmond  greeted  him  with  eager  de- 
light. 

The  two  had  much  to  say  to  one  another,  and  Duke, 
like  many  others,  found  himself  confiding  frankly  and 
freely  in  Osmond  all  his  difficulties  since  his  return. 

"  Did  you  think  I  was  never  coming  over  to  see  you  ?  " 
he  said  presently. 

"  Yes,  honestly,  I  thought  we  were  too  far  off  for  you 
to  trouble  about  us." 

"  You  have  never  been  out  of  my  thoughts,"  said 
Duke  a  little  dreamily,  as  he  gazed  round  the  room. 

Osmond's  eyes  twinkled.  He  knew  that  he,  individu- 
ally, was  not  comprised  in  that  pronoun. 

"  You  have  been  up  in  town  a  good  bit,  I  suppose  ? " 

"  Oh  yes,  over  business  matters.  I  shall  be  settling 
down  for  good  and  all  soon.  Do  you  know  my  father 
wants  me  to  give  up  the  service  ?  Of  course  I  could 
not  do  it  till  this  war  is  over.  I  may  be  sent  out  again 
soon,  but  it's  just  a  question  of  time.  It's  rather  a  pull 
doing  it,  but  he  is  too  feeble  and  old  to  be  left  alone  any 


A   DISAPPOINTMENT  299 

more,  so  I  must  make  the  best  of  it.  I  dread  sinking 
down  to  the  life  of  an  idle  country  gentleman  ;  it  is  such 
a  narrow  sphere." 

"  I  don't  see  that.     What  would  you  say  to  mine  ?  " 

"  Ah  you  !     You  are  a  marvel !  " 

"  Indeed  ?  Oh  you  little  know  the  passionate  longing 
that  comes  across  me  sometimes  to  be  up  and  doing,  in- 
stead of  lying  here  like  a  helpless  log.  How  I  should 
glory  in  doing  and  daring,  in  breasting  the  battle  of  life, 
and  earning  my  own  livelihood,  and  in  mixing  with  my 
fellow-creatures  and  my  own  sex  particularly  !  In  my 
black  moments  I  think  of  the  irony  of  my  fate.  I  am 
leading  a  woman's  life  at  present.  Except  the  good 
farmer  here,  who  keeps  me  from  being  too  dogmatic  in  my 
opinions,  I  have  no  one  to  rub  my  wits  against.  No  one 
to  save  me  from  being  the  most  egotistical  and  self-opin- 
ionated philosopher  as  I  am  dubbed." 

"You  feel  yourself  superior  to  your  surroundings  ?  " 

Osmond  smiled. 

"  It  is  long  since  I've  had  any  one  to  take  me  down  a 
peg  or  two — it's  quite  refreshing.  No,  I  am  inferior  in 
most  ways,  I  own  it !  Now  let  me  have  an  account  of 
your  dreadful  time  in  Ladysmith.  How  I  wish  Olive 
were  here !  We  have  so  often  wondered  about  your 
life  out  there  !  " 

"  Will  she  not  be  in  soon  ?  " 

"  I  am  afraid  not,  but  you  are  not  in  a  hurry,  you  will 
stay  ? " 

"  Thanks.  Wish  I  could,  but  my  father  is  in  a  fidg- 
etty  state  this  last  week ;  he  frets  if  I  am  away  long. 
I  promised  him  to  return  soon.  I  will  come  over  again 
as  soon  as  I  can." 


300  OLIVE   TRACY 

"You're  not  looking  very  fit  yet." 

"  I'm  ashamed  of  myself.  And  at  times  I  would  give 
the  world  to  be  out  at  the  Front  again.  I  am  physically 
well  again,  and  yet  I  assure  you  I  find  myself  trembling 
like  a  girl  if  I  overdo  it !  The  fever  took  such  a  hold 
on  me  that  I  do  not  seem  able — even  now — to  throw  off 
the  effects  of  it.  And  I  can  tell  you,  old  fellow,  that  for 
lowering  the  spirits  and  setting  your  nerves  on  edge  and 
making  you  generally  good  for  nothing,  give  me  four 
months  in  a  besieged  town,  being  bombarded  almost 
daily.  One  can  laugh  at  it  now,  but  I  was  sitting  down 
to  lunch  one  day  with  four  other  fellows,  all  my  seniors 
in  the  service,  and  men  with  bull-dog  courage  and  of 
iron  nerves,  when  the  servant  dropped  a  dish  entering 
the  room.  In  a  moment  all  five  of  us  leapt  to  our  feet. 
The  Colonel  flung  himself  flat  on  the  floor,  and  when 
we  found  it  was  a  dish  and  not  a  shell  I  can  tell  you  we 
looked  pretty  foolish  !  Short  rations,  and  the  sickening 
suspense  and  monotony  of  life,  all  combined  to  take  the 
heart  out  of  one  !  " 

"  I  have  never  realised  the  horrors  of  war  so  much  as 
when  reading  the  papers  this  winter." 

"  It  is  best  not  talked  about,  and  if  you  had  seen  what 
I  did  before  we  were  shut  into  Ladysmith  you  would  re- 
alise it  ten  times  more.  The  first  engagement  with  men 
who  have  never  been  in  action  before  is  almost  pitiful. 
They  go  so  gaily  and  unconcernedly  into  it,  exactly  as 
they  take  a  field  day  at  home.  Then,  as  one  by  one 
drops,  their  astonishment  and  surprise  deepen  into  nerv- 
ousness and  consternation.  They  begin  to  realise  it  is 
not  a  game,  and  then  the  boyish  faces  set  themselves  in 
grim  hard  lines,  and  they  advance,  receiving  their  first 


A   DISAPPOINTMENT  301 

baptism  of  fire,  with  mingled  feelings  of  horror  and 
pluck.  The  most  timid  cheer  the  loudest,  they  dash  on 
breathlessly  and  recklessly,  afraid  to  trust  themselves  to 
look  at  their  falling  comrades.  It  is  only  experience 
that  will  teach  them  to  take  cover  cautiously.  Dash  is 
easier  than  caution  when  their  hearts  are  thumping  so 
loudly." 

"  Poor  chaps  !  Do  you  think  danger  and  death  round 
them  sobers  the  careless  ones  ?  " 

"  A  great  many  of  them.  It  brings  life  and  death  be- 
fore them  as  it  would  never  be  brought  to  them  at  home 
in  times  of  peace." 

There  was  a  little  silence,  then  Duke  said  : 

"  Now  tell  me  about  yourselves  from  the  very  begin- 
ning. I  left  you  in  very  different  circumstances  a  year 
ago.  Have  you  been  here  the  whole  time  without  a 
change  ?  Does  Olive  like  it  ?  " 

"  I  think  she  would  be  happy  anywhere,"  Osmond 
said  smiling.  "  You  would  think  to  see  her  that  she  had 
been  born  and  bred  in  a  farm-house." 

He  went  on  giving  details  of  their  life  during  the  past 
year;  and  in  hearing  about  the  one  so  much  in  his 
thoughts  Duke  was  interested  and  comforted. 

When  he  rose  to  go  he  promised  to  come  over  again 
as  soon  as  he  could.  Outside  in  the  passage  he  was 
stopped  by  Miss  March,  who,  from  the  time  she  had  an- 
nounced his  name  to  Osmond  and  realised  that  he  was 
an  officer,  had  been  vainly  trying  to  suppress  her  excited 
feelings.  She  came  forward  in  much  the  same  manner 
as  when  Eddie  had  been  taking  his  departure,  with  pro- 
fuse apologies  for  her  presumption  in  addressing  him. 

"  It  is  indeed  a  liberty,  sir,  but  knowing  your  rank  in 


302  OLIVE   TRACY 

the  army,  and  having  the  look  of  ill-health  and  hard 
usage  on  your  face,  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
you  may  possibly  have  been  out  at  the  war." 

Duke  smiled,  and  in  his  pleasant  way  responded : 

"  Your  conclusion  is  correct.  I  have  been  so  unfor- 
tunate as  to  get  wounded,  and  have  been  invalided 
home.  But  I  feel  at  present  rather  a  fraud,  as  if  I  ought 
to  take  my  passage  back  to-morrow  !  " 

"  Oh  sir,"  exclaimed  Miss  March  with  enthusiasm  ; 
"  may  I  say  God  bless  you  and  reward  you  for  your 
courage,  and  your  agonising  pains  in  undertaking  for 
your  Queen  and  your  countrymen  !  Oh  sir,  I  lie  awake 
with  bleeding  heart  for  the  sufferings  of  our  soldiers.  I 
could  with  ease  and  gladness  go  down  on  my  knees  and 
humbly  thank  you  for  doing  and  daring  in  this  great 
British  Cause.  I  am  only  a  very  humble  unit  of  the 
Empire,  but  I  make  bold  to  say  that  I  express  the  feel- 
ings of  one  and  all,  from  the  least  unto  the  greatest,  when 
I  say  that  my  heart  is  full  of  overflowing  gratitude  for 
the  sacrificing  of  health  and  strength  and  life,  with  such 
cheerful  readiness  by  our  brave  defenders,  for  us  and  our 
English  homes !  " 

She  stood  bowing  before  him,  squeezing  her  hands 
tightly  in  front  of  her,  and  tears  slowly  dropping  down 
her  cheeks.  Duke  was  quite  touched. 

"  I  can  tell  you,"  he  said,  "  that  it  is  the  assurance  of 
such  sympathy  as  yours,  and  of  many  others,  that  makes 
our  soldiers  strong  and  brave  in  battle,  and  brings  balm 
and  comfort  to  many  a  suffering  one.  The  prayers  and 
loving  sympathy  of  those  at  home  are  powerful  influ- 
ences over  the  morals  of  our  troops  at  the  Front." 

Then  giving  her  a  handshake,  he  strode  away,  and 


A   DISAPPOINTMENT  303 

Miss  March  retired  to  her  room  overcome  with  her  ex- 
citement, and  quite  convinced,  as  she  said  to  her  sister- 
in-law  afterwards,  that  for  "  gentlemanly  behaviour  and 
sweet  courteous  words  and  bearing  no  one  in  this  wide 
world  could  come  near  a  military  officer !  " 

Duke  rode  away  revolving  many  things  in  his  mind. 
He  had  set  his  heart  upon  seeing  Olive,  and  felt  the  dis- 
appointment keenly.  He  wondered  if  time  and  absence 
had  altered  her  feelings,  whether  now  that  she  knew  he 
was  a  free  man,  that  his  love  had  never  swerved  and  that 
she  was  still  the  one  woman  in  the  world  for  him,  she 
would  receive  him  differently .  But  when  he  reached 
home  he  bravely  tried  to  put  such  thoughts  aside. 
There  were  many  duties  there  that  claimed  his  attention. 
Sir  Marmaduke  had  borne  the  loss  of  the  pearls  with 
wonderful  equanimity.  He  even  made  excuses  for  his 
daughter-in-law. 

"  I  did  give  them  to  her.  It  was  Mark  who  could 
not  resist  the  temptation  of  raising  money  on  them,"  he 
said. 

And  then  one  day  the  mystery  of  the  agent  was  solved. 

The  following  letter  was  received  by  Duke : 

S.  S.  Lucinda. 
DEAR  DUKE, 

I  am  taking  pity  on  your  bewildered  state,  and  as  my  wife 
and  self  are  sailing  over  the  blue  ocean  in  quest  of  a  wider  life  than 
we  found  existing  at  the  Court,  I  will  shed  light  on  what  may  seem  a 
little  perplexing  to  the  good  folks  in  Blackenbury.  The  prodigal  son 
returned  home.  To  prove  his  penitence  he  made  himself  as  one  of 
his  father's  hired  servants.  He  received  enough  wages  to  feed  and 
clothe  himself,  and  by  diligent  and  ingenious  use  of  the  opportunities 
that  came  his  way,  he  gathered  together  sufficient  to  start  life  afresh. 
Now  he  is  setting  out  for  that  purpose.  Give  my  kind  respects  to  the 
governor,  and  tell  him  the  prodigal  was  too  much  in  awe  of  his  keen 


304  OLIVE   TRACY 

sight  to  venture  into  his  presence.  Cora  sends  love.  She  did  not 
play  her  cards  badly,  and  we'll  steady  down  into  a  virtuous  wife  and 
husband  before  long. 

Your  hopeful  brother, 

MARK  alias  •<  MORDAUNT." 


Duke  read  and  re-read  this  characteristic  epistle  with 
mingled  feelings  of  shame  and  relief.  Shame — that  his 
brother  could  have  resorted  to  such  trickery,  relief — that 
Cora's  character  had  been  redeemed  from  such  charges 
as  had  been  made. 

He  sat  with  his  head  bowed  in  his  hands.  He 
dreaded  to  tell  his  father ;  he  shrank  from  publishing  his 
brother's  fraud ;  and  yet,  as  an  honourable  man,  he 
could  do  nothing  less,  as  Cora  had  been  so  implicated  in 
it  all. 

And  then  with  steady  step,  but  with  a  heavy  heart,  he 
entered  his  father's  room. 

It  was  a  difficult  task  to  perform.  The  coolness  and 
heartlessness  of  the  letter  made  it  impossible  for  him  to 
read  it  aloud.  Old  Sir  Marmaduke  saw  from  his  face 
directly  he  entered,  that  something  had  disturbed  him. 
His  keen  eyes  were  quick  to  note  any  change  of  expres- 
sion on  the  face  of  his  favourite  son. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  any  more  bad  news  for  me  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  if  you  will  think  it  so,"  replied  Duke ; 
"  it  explains  a  great  deal  that  has  puzzled  us,  and  will 
make  you  judge  Cora  more  leniently.  I  won't  beat 
about  the  bush.  I  have  heard  from  Mark.  Cora  and 
he  are  crossing  over  to  America  together.  He  confesses 
to  me  that  he  has  done  you  a  great  wrong,  for  he  came 
here  in  disguise  and  took  your  former  agent's  place.  In 
plain  words,  Mr.  Mordaunt  and  he  were  one." 


A  DISAPPOINTMENT  305 

Sir  Marmaduke  turned  a  stony  stare  upon  his  son. 

"  I  don't  believe  it,"  he  said  at  last.  "  Mordaunt  was 
a  dark,  black-bearded  man,  and  Mark  is  fair.  The  serv- 
ants would  have  known  him." 

"  He  was  disguised.  As  far  as  I  can  make  out  he 
hardly  ever  came  up  to  the  house.  Cora  was  the  only 
one  who  had  much  communication  with  him.  I  am 
afraid  it  is  only  too  true.  I  don't  know  if  it  will  be  any 
comfort  to  you  to  feel  that  it  is  a  son,  and  not  a  stranger, 
who  has  been  making  such  a  mess  of  your  affairs.  It 
was  cleverly  planned  and  carried  out.  I  told  you  he  had 
to  clear  out  at  the  Cape.  He  owed  a  lot  of  money  and 
hadn't  a  penny  in  his  pocket.  He  must  have  followed 
his  wife  home  almost  immediately,  instead  of  going  to 
Australia  as  he  had  formerly  determined." 

Sir  Marmaduke  could  not  speak,  and  then  at  last  his 
father's  heart  seemed  to  overflow,  and  instead  of  indig- 
nation and  fury  against  the  son  who  had  so  wronged 
him,  came  the  cry  : 

"  Oh  Mark,  my  son  !  I  would  have  forgiven  you  and 
received  you  !  A  son  and  an  outcast,  what  would  your 
mother  have  said  !  " 

A  great  sob  rose  in  the  old  man's  throat,  and  Duke 
slipped  out  of  the  room,  for  he  felt  his  father  would  face 
this  trouble  best  alone. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE    PRINCE    AND    PRINCESS 

Now  with  that  look  in  your  face, 

With  the  sunlight  aslant  on  your  cheek, 

Will  you  understand,  while  I  hold  your  hand, 
And,  oh  dearest  maid,  let  me  speak  ? 

— Alice  E.  Gillington. 

"  GUESS  who  has  been  here,  Oily  ?  "  said  Osmond, 
when  Olive  returned  with  her  little  charge  to  the  farm. 

"  Duke,"  said  Olive  quietly. 

"  Right.  He  could  not  stay.  He  was  disappointed 
not  to  see  you.  He  looks  very  ill  and  worn,  and  so 
thin.  He  says  he  is  very  much  tied  to  Sir  Marmaduke 
at  present  or  he  would  have  been  over  before." 

"  Is  he  another  strange  gempleum  ?  "  demanded  Ida. 

"  Not  strange  to  us,  dear.      He  has  been  fighting  out 
in  Africa  and  got   wounded.     Did  he  tell  you  how  he 
got  wounded,  Diogenes  ? " 

"  I  declare  I  never  asked  him  !  He  never  talks  much 
of  himself,  and  only  touched  on  the  horrors  of  the  war." 

"I  have  just  got  a  letter  from  Dot.  I  passed  the 
post-office  so  called  in,  a»nd  they  gave  it  to  me.  She 
wants  me  to  go  to  dine  with  them  next  week." 

Leaning  against  the  window  Olive  took  the  letter  out 
of  her  pocket. 

"  She  mentions  that  Duke  has  decided  for  the  present 
to  take  the  agent's  place,  and  look  after  his  father's 
property  himself.  Did  he  tell  you  about  it  ?  " 

306 


THE  PRINCE  AND  PRINCESS          307 

"Yes." 

"  This  is  what  she  says :  '  Father  says  that  it  will  be 
years  before  the  mischief  done  to  the  property  can  be 
remedied.  Duke  goes  about  with  a  kind  of  stolid  deter- 
mination in  his  face.  I  think  he  will  leave  no  stone 
unturned  till  he  gets  everything  in  spick  and  span  order 
again.  He  came  over  to  dine  with  us  the  other  night. 
I  thought  him  much  graver  and  sterner  than  he  used  to 
be.  But  I  think  he  has  gone  through  an  awful  time. 
Isn't  it  strange  that  Mark  and  he  should  be  brothers ! ' 
Then  she  goes  on  to  give  me  an  account  of  some 
Blackenbury  gaieties.  I  am  afraid  I  must  decline  her 
invitation  to  dine." 

"  Wherefore  ?  " 

"I  shall  be  very  busy  next  week — Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hunt  return,  and  I  shall  have  to  hand  over  parish  mat- 
ters and  c  render  an  account  of  my  stewardship.'  Dot 
always  expects  me  to  sleep  the  night  and  stay  the  greater 
part  of  the  next  day  with  her,  so  a  dinner  at  the  Manor 
means  the  best  part  of  two  days." 

"  When  I  go  home  again,"  remarked  Ida  at  this 
juncture,  "  I  mean  to  be  a  useful  person,  and  Beautiful 
does  too.  We  shall  help  father  with  his  sermons  and 
tell  him  what  to  say,  and  we  shall  tidy  mother's  writing 
drawer  every  day.  We  have  done  with  wickedness  for- 
ever and  ever ! " 

Her  small  face  was  so  solemn  that  Olive  did  not 
laugh,  but  she  recognised  the  borrowed  sentence. 

"  That  is,  I  am  afraid,  impossible  for  us,  Ida,"  she 
said.  "  Farmer  Sparks  said  he  had  done  with  wicked- 
ness forever  and  ever,  because  he  feels  he  is  a  dying 
man,  waiting  outside  Heaven's  gate  to  be  let  in." 


3o8  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  I  hope  God  won't  keep  him  long  outside,"  said  Ida, 
"  he's  too  ill  a  man  to  be  kept  waiting." 

Then,  with  a  quick  change  of  thought,  she  danced 
out  of  the  room  dragging  Beautiful  after  her. 

Olive  fingered  a  bowl  of  daffodils  on  the  window 
ledge  lovingly ;  she  looked  into  the  garden  which  was 
full  of  her  favourite  golden  flower,  and  a  dreamy  smile 
played  about  her  lips.  She  had  at  first  been  very  disap- 
pointed to  have  missed  Duke. 

"  It  seems  as  if  fate  is  against  me,"  she  mused ;  "  and 
yet  it  must  be  all  right.  I  have  waited  too  long  to  be 
impatient  now." 

Then,  with  a  sigh  and  a  smile,  she  left  the  room  and 
went  in  search  of  Ida. 

She  was  quietly  happy  these  bright  spring  days ;  the 
shadows  in  her  life  seemed  to  have  passed,  and  hope  for 
the  future  was  stealing  into  her  heart  with  a  subtle 
fragrance  that  was  all  the  sweeter  for  its  non-recogni- 
tion. 

Only  two  days  after  Duke's  visit,  on  a  sunny  after- 
noon, as  she  was  picking  up  a  fallen  spray  of  apple 
blossom  in  the  orchard,  a  voice  startled  her. 

"  Good-afternoon.     We  are  almost  strangers." 

She  turned  and  confronted  Duke. 

"  Yes,"  she  said  quietly,  giving  him  her  hand,  "  I  was 
sorry  to  miss  you  when  you  came  over." 

"  I  am  fortunate  to-day." 

"  How  is  Sir  Marmaduke  ?  " 

"  Wonderfully  well ;  and  much  brighter  than  he  has 
been  for  a  long  while." 

They  were  commonplace  remarks,  but  they  served  to 
quiet  and  steady  the  pulses  that  were  hammering  and 


THE  PRINCE  AND  PRINCESS          309 

beating  in  both  hearts.  Olive  stood  with  her  back  to  a 
tree,  the  pink  and  white  blossoms  of  which  seemed  to 
frame  her  slender  figure  in  grey  with  a  spring-like  radi- 
ance and  warmth.  She  was  bareheaded,  and  the  yellow 
sunshine  touched  with  gold  her  soft  brown  hair.  Daffo- 
dils were  in  her  belt,  and  they  took  Duke  back  to  that 
spring  morning  a  year  ago  when  he  had  spoken  to  her 
by  the  old  stone  bridge. 

His  eyes  were  on  her  now,  but  hers  were  away  over 
the  distant  valley  in  front  of  her.  She  was  not  so  ready 
of  speech  as  she  used  to  be,  and  there  was  an  abrupt 
pause  in  their  conversation.  Duke  felt  nervous.  He 
was  convinced  that  this  would  be  his  last  appeal,  and 
the  thought  of  being  sent  back  to  his  lonely  home  with- 
out his  heart's  desire,  made  him  chary  of  hastening  such 
a  possible  fate  in  store  for  him. 

"You  have  heard,"  he  began  rather  lamely,  "of  all 
that  has  happened.  It  has  been  a  terrible  home-coming 
to  me." 

Some  faint  instinct  prompted  these  words.  He  re- 
membered the  saying,  "  Pity  is  akin  to  love,"  and  when 
she  turned  her  eyes  full  upon  him  he  caught  his  breath. 

"Yes,  I  have  heard  everything,  and  I  have  felt  so 
sorry  for  you." 

Then  the  hot  blood  rushed  through  his  veins.  Pru- 
dence was  cast  to  the  winds. 

"  Olive,  I  want  you  still." 

Plain,  honest  words,  but  they  were  backed  up  with  all 
the  passionate  love  of  a  strong  man's  heart.  She  stood 
motionless  for  a  moment,  then  made  a  step  forward,  and 
the  softly-breathed  words  were  only  heard  by  his  quick 
ear,  as  he  took  her  into  his  arms : 


310  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  I  have  learnt  to  want  you  too  ! " 

The  sun  shone  on,  the  birds  carolled  forth  their  songs 
of  hope  and  gladness,  the  soft  spring  breeze  kissed  the 
waking  flowers,  and  all  of  it  together  was  a  faint  picture 
of  the  two  happy  hearts  under  that  old  apple  tree. 

In  the  farm-house  sitting-room,  the  fair-haired  child 
was  sitting  on  a  low  stool  with  her  doll,  drinking  in 
eagerly  a  wonderful  story  from  the  lips  of  Osmond. 

"  And  when  the  Prince  found  the  Princess  what  did 
he  do  ?  " 

"  He  knelt  at  her  feet,  and  all  his  troubles  and  past 
difficulties  seemed  to  melt  away  when  he  saw  her  sweet 
kind  eyes  looking  upon  him." 

"  And  then  what  ?  " 

"  Then  they  came  stepping  through  the  forest  hand  in 
hand,  and  the  sun  and  the  birds  and  the  flowers  all 
danced  and  quivered  with  joy." 

Ida  looked  out  of  the  window  thoughtfully. 

"  Just  like  Miss  Tracy  is  coming  up  the  garden  with 
a  gempleum.  Who  is  he,  Uncle  Humbug  ?  Why 
didn't  you  ask  him  to  come  in  ?  Why  did  you  send  him 
out  to  the  orchard  ?  " 

Osmond  bent  forward  and  glanced  out  of  the  window, 
then  leant  back  on  his  cushions  and  smiled. 

"  The  Prince,"  he  said  quietly.  "  He  has  found  the 
Princess  at  last." 

The  Marches  were  having  their  tea,  and  Bess  March's 
tongue  was  very  busy. 

"  I  see  more  things  than  those  folk  who  don't  exercise 
their  brains  by  getting  information  of  the  world  they 
live  in  by  the  means  of  papers  and  books  !  And  from 
being  a  Londoner  myself  I  have  had  opportunities  with- 


THE  PRINCE  AND  PRINCESS          311 

out  ceasin'  of  observin'  human  nature.  And  I  say 
again,  Miss  Tracy  came  to  us  in  a  black  dress,  and  with 
heavy  trouble  on  her  head,  but  when  time  wore  off  the 
edge  of  it,  she  had  a  trouble  in  her  heart  that  no  woman 
likes  to  speak  of.  I'm  talkin'  of  what  a  woman  of  my 
experience  and  life  knows  about !  " 

"  Ay,"  interrupted  Andrew  with  his  eyes  twinkling  all 
over,  "  Us  knows  'ee  have  had  many  a  heart-break, 
Bess.  The  lads  be  terrible  back'erd  in  gatherin'  of  such 
a  blossom,  but  'tis  never  too  late  to  mend,  and  they'll  be 
mendin'  their  ways  and  some  un's  heart  as  well,  one  o' 
these  days  !  " 

Bess  ignored  this  thrust  with  an  indignant  sniff.  "  I'm 
talkin'  of  a  young  lady  whose  mind  and  ways  can  better 
be  understood  by  a  person  of  eddication  and  culture,  than 
by  one  whose  brain  is  filled  with  pigs  and  fattenin' 
poultry.  And  I  say  that  though  I  did  hope  the  right 
gentleman  had  come  the  end  o'  last  summer,  I  see  after 
a  time  the  burden  was  still  on  the  heart.  And  now  I 
make  bold  to  say  that  Mr.  Tracy's  friend,  the  courteous 
military  officer,  that  come  two  days  ago,  and  was  so  low 
at  the  absence,  and  has  come  back  again  with  a  light 
sparklin'  in  his  eye,  has  not  come  to-day  to  sit  with  his 
friend,  but  is  out  on  his  errand  like  a  true  knight  of  old, 
and  the  orchard  to-day  will  be  a  scene  of  joy  and  peace 
in  the  over-burdened  heart." 

"  Deary  me ! "  remarked  Mrs.  March  admiringly. 
"  You  do  speak  all  the  world  like  a  story  book,  Bess. 
But  your  fancies  are  always  runnin'  on  such  things. 
Now  I  would  be  right  glad  for  Miss  to  be  woo'd  and 
married,  but  I  ain't  in  a  hurry  to  part  with  her.  And 
the  quality  don't  mate  so  well  as  in  our  station.  Mrs. 


3i2  OLIVE   TRACY 

Stanton  now,  when  she  comes  down,  she  looks  with  her 
sad  pretty  eyes  at  me,  and  she  says, — '  Ah,  Mrs.  March, 
if  I  were  only  a  single  woman  again  ! '  And  though  she 
laughs  a  minute  after,  and  says  she  didn't  mean  it,  I 
knows  better.  I'd  like  Miss  to  get  a  right  good  hus- 
band, but  these  strangers  that  come,  well,  we  don't  know 
enough  of  them  to  judge.  And  maybe,  this  gent  likes 
a  sunny  orchard  better  than  an  indoor  room.  He  may 
go  as  he  come,  and  none  o'  us  be  the  wiser." 

"  He  has  been  in  that  orchard  nigh  on  a  hour  and  a 
half,"  snapped  Bess  decisively,  as  her  keen  eyes  glanced 
up  at  the  old  clock  in  the  corner,  "  and  if  that's  a  usual 
kind  o'  visit,  without  nothin'  to  come  from  it,  well  my 
name  ain't  Bess  March !  'Tis  fittin'  such  a  brave  offi- 
cer, wounded  in  battlefields,  and  havin'  returned  home 
with  disease  rife  in  his  body,  and  yet  none  too  proud  to 
give  a  smile  and  a  handshake  to  them  that  values  such, 
should  meet  with  his  deservin'  reward,  and  Miss  Tracy 
havin'  lived  through  his  absence  with  a  bright  brave 
spirit,  will  be  crowned  at  last,  and  my  blessing  shall  be 
given  spontaneously  upon  the  happy  pair !  " 

It  was  not  surprising,  with  these  conversations  going 
on  indoors,  that  Olive  had  no  difficulty  in  breaking  her 
news  to  those  most  interested.  Duke  stayed  to  tea,  and 
then  had  to  go,  but  said  he  would  be  over  the  next  day 
to  bring  Olive  to  his  father. 

For  the  rest  of  that  evening  Olive  was  very  quiet. 
Her  heart  was  too  full  to  talk,  and  when  Ida  was  fast 
asleep,  she  slipped  out  with  a  shawl  over  her  head,  for 
one  of  her  favourite  dusky  rambles  round  the  old  walled 
garden. 

Trouble,  great  trouble,  had  come  to  her  in  this  quiet 


THE  PRINCE  AND  PRINCESS          313 

spot,  and  now  joy  had  followed.  She  lifted  up  her  heart 
in  thankful  gratitude  for  this  gift  of  a  good  man's  love, 
and  as  she  looked  back  at  every  step  she  had  taken  in 
the  past  year  she  would  but  repeat  to  herself  with  tear- 
ful eyes  :  "  Surely  goodness  and  mercy  have  followed 
me." 

Duke  called  for  her  in  his  dog-cart  the  next  morning, 
for  she  was  to  go  to  lunch  and  return  in  the  afternoon. 
They  had  much  to  say  to  each  other  on  that  drive,  much 
to  tell  and  explain. 

"  This  has  been  a  long  year  to  both  of  us,"  Duke  said 
presently ;  "  there  have  been  so  many  changes  in  it." 

"  Yes,"  assented  Olive,  "  but  changes  are  good  for 
one  sometimes." 

"  They  are,  and  the  unexpected  brings  joy  as  well  as 
sorrow." 

"  Now  you  are  talking  platitudes,"  said  Olive  with 
her  old  merry  laugh.  "  I  have  a  good  deal  of  that  from 
Diogenes,  but  I  don't  expect  it  from  you." 

"  What  do  you  expect  ?  " 

"  Something  strong  and  fresh  and  breezy." 

Duke  smiled  as  he  looked  down  upon  her. 

"  I  should  say  the  freshness  and  breeziness  are  your 
characteristics !  I  suppose  unconsciously  my  difficult 
circumstances  since  my  return  from  Africa  have  de- 
pressed me.  And  yet  I  have  been  thankful  for  all  the 
work  that  has  come  upon  me,  for  my  mother's  empty 
place  is  always  before  me.  It  is  too  fresh  a  sore  to  be 
healed,  and  one  is  better  doing  than  thinking  at  such 
times.  Still  it  has  not  added  to  my  cheerfulness." 

"  You  do  not  look  crushed  and  broken  spirited,"  said 
Olive  smiling. 


OLIVE   TRACY 


"  No,"  he  said,  lifting  his  head  erect,  "  I  feel  at  this 
moment  I  could  face  the  biggest  evil  out,  with  you  at 
my  side.  I  don't  think  I  shall  have  a  despondent  mo- 
ment again." 

There  was  suppressed  elation  visible  on  faithful  old 
Triggs'  face  as  Olive  stepped  into  the  hall.  She  went 
straight  to  Sir  Marmaduke  who  was  expecting  her. 

His  welcome  brought  the  tears  to  her  eyes. 

"This  is  a  happy  day  for  me,"  he  said  brokenly  as  he 
took  both  her  hands  in  his.  "I  think  good  times  are  in 
store  for  the  lonely  old  man.  My  dear  wife  and  I  have 
long  coveted  you  for  a  daughter.  May  you  be  as  great 
a  comfort  to  my  boy,  my  dear,  as  you  have  been  to 
me!" 

"There  is  no  other  place  that  seems  so  much  like 
home  to  me  as  this,"  said  Olive  softly. 

"It  is  like  a  nightmare  to  me,"  the  old  man  went 
on  ;  "I  welcomed  the  one  I  thought  was  Duke's  wife 
as  best  I  could  in  the  bitterness  and  soreness  of  my 
spirit.  I  gave  up  then  all  hope  for  a  happy  old  age, 
and  only  wished  to  die.  And  then  trouble  upon  trouble, 
anxiety  and  mystery.  Now  —  my  son  back,  and  the 
daughter  of  my  choice  coming  to  be  our  comfort  after 
all!" 

"  And  now  we  will  have  luncheon,"  broke  in  Duke's 
clear,  brisk  voice,  as  he  saw  how  near  to  a  breakdown 
his  father  was. 

Talk  flowed  into  lighter  channels  after  that,  but 
before  Olive  left  that  afternoon  Sir  Marmaduke  asked 
plaintively  : 

"  And  when  are  you  going  to  marry  him,  my  dear  ?  " 

Olive  could  not  reply.     Duke  answered  for  her. 


THE  PRINCE  AND  PRINCESS          315 

"  I  am  ready  to-morrow,"  he  said. 

"  You  won't  keep  us  waiting  long  ?  "  the  old  man 
pleaded. 

Olive  placed  her  hand  on  Duke's  arm  whilst  a  pink 
flush  rose  to  her  cheeks. 

"  Not  longer  than  I  can  help,"  she  said. 

Duke  insisted  on  driving  her  back. 

"  I  have  a  fresh  horse,"  he  said  ;  "  and  the  weather 
is  so  bright  and  warm  that  it  will  not  hurt  you." 

They  stood  together  at  the  front  door  a  little  later, 
waiting  for  the  trap  to  come  round.  Duke  hardly  ever 
took  his  gaze  off  Olive,  and  when  she,  looking  away 
over  the  old  terraced  garden,  said  gently  :  "  It  is  a  fair 
scene,  is  it  not  ?  "  he  replied,  "  I  know  a  fairer." 

Drawing  her  to  him,  he  went  on  a  little  brokenly  : 
"  I  wonder  if  you  will  ever  know  how  dear  you  are 
to  me.  I  can  hardly  realise  all  the  days  of  waiting  and 
hoping  are  over.  We  have  both  been  through  a  good 
deal  this  last  year.  I  shall  be  impatient,  Olive,  for  the 
time  when  we  stand  on  this  threshold  as  man  and  wife." 

Olive  could  not  speak.  Her  eyes  were  full  of  happy 
tears.  Duke  stooped  and  kissed  her. 

"  We're  rather  a  silent  couple,"  he  said  with  a  little 
laugh ;  "  but  there  is  no  need  for  words  when  there  is 
perfect  understanding." 

Olive  looked  up  at  him  with  a  smile, "  I  am  the  silent 
one,"  she  said.  "  It  seems  so  new,  so  strange,  that  I 
cannot  express  my  feelings.  We  shall  have  time  for 
that,  Duke,  by-and-by  !  " 

"  Olive,"  said  Duke  during  the  drive,  as  they  were 
nearing  the  village  of  Egerton  Cross,  "  I  have  been 
wondering  whether  you  have  not  gained  something  this 


3i6  OLIVE   TRACY 

year — something  that  baffles  my  description,  but  it  is  in 
your  voice,  your  eyes,  your  soul." 

For  a  moment  she  did  not  reply,  then  she  looked  up, 
and  her  clear  eyes  glowed  with  deep  feeling. 

"  I  have  had  my  life  adjusted  rightly,"  she  said.  "  It 
was  what  you  advised  me  to  do  before  you  left  home  last 
year." 

He  drew  a  deep  breath  of  thankfulness. 

"  It  is  the  one  thing  I  longed  for,"  he  said ;  "the  one 
thing  I  never  forgot  to  pray  for,  out  in  Africa.  My  love 
could  not  give  it  to  you,  much  as  I  desired  it." 

"  But  perhaps  your  prayers  did,"  said  Olive. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

LINKED     TOGETHER 

The  world  has  little  to  bestow 

Where  two  fond  hearts   in  equal  love  are  joined. 

THE  month  of  May  was  to  Olive  like  a  bright  ray  of 
sunshine  after  a  sullen  storm.  And  many  besides  her- 
self looked  up  and  took  heart.  Lord  Roberts'  triumphal 
progress,  the  relief  of  Mafeking,  the  fall  of  the  Free' 
State  capital,  and  the  change  in  the  whole  situation, 
brought  hope  to  many  an  anxious  heart.  Eddie  wrote 
home  in  good  spirits,  though  chafing  at  the  inactivity  of 
Buller's  troops  in  Natal.  When  at  length  they  began  to 
move  forward  he  was  satisfied,  but  his  sisters  watched 
the  casualty  lists  anxiously. 

****** 

It  was  early  June,  and  Olive's  wedding-day.  There 
had  been  great  discussions  as  to  where  the  ceremony 
was  to  take  place.  Vinny  offered  her  house  in  town, 
and  Elsie  said  it  would  be  impossible  to  have  it  anywhere 
else,  but  this  did  not  meet  Olive's  views.  Both  she  and 
Duke  were  quite  agreed  that  as  far  as  their  wishes  went, 
they  would  like  it  as  quiet  as  possible.  And  they  finally 
decided  to  be  married  from  Orchard  Farm. 

The  Marches  were  proud  of  the  honour  done  them, 
and  for  weeks  Miss  March  was  scouring,  cleaning,  white- 
washing and  papering  ;  turning  out  every  odd  corner  and 
cupboard;  and  finally  resting  from  her  labours  with  the 

31? 


3i8  OLIVE   TRACY 

satisfied  conviction  that  a  "  Duke's  house  couldn't  be 
cleaner ! " 

Mrs.  Hunt  was  anxious  to  have  a  bountiful  spread  at 
the  Rectory  after  the  service,  but  Olive  assured  her  that 
Mrs.  March's  hospitable  soul  would  be  sorely  disap- 
pointed if  she  were  not  allowed  that  honour ;  and  so 
under  the  superintendence  of  Vinny,  who  arrived  a  few 
days  beforehand,  a  very  pretty  little  repast  was  laid  out 
in  the  old  kitchen,  which  was  decorated  with  masses  of 
roses  and  flowers  of  every  description.  Miss  March 
invested  in  a  few  dozen  of  penny  Union  Jacks,  which 
she  insisted  upon  placing  up  the  walls.  Her  final  effort 
brought  a  smile  to  Vinny's  lips.  It  was  a  red  banner 
with  elaborate  gilt  letters  upon  it :  "  See  the  conquering 
hero  comes !  "  This  was  tacked  up  over  the  fire-place 
and  edged  with  laurel  leaves. 

"  I  don't  think  Captain  Crofton  considers  himself  a 
hero  at  all,"  said  Vinny  as  she  looked  doubtfully  at  it. 
"  He  has  come  home  without  a  V.C.,  Miss  March." 

"  He  may  not  wear  a  Cross  on  his  breast,"  responded 
Miss  March ;  "  but  he  bears  the  impress  of  it  on  his 
face.  I  take  it  he  has  conquered  a  woman's  heart,  which 
is  not  to  be  had  lightly,  and  maybe  would  never  have 
been  had  at  all  in  this  case,  if  his  valour  and  self-sacrifice 
and  gallant  wounds  had  not  helped  his  cause  greatly." 

Vinny  said  no  more. 

Lord  Bannister  and  his  daughter,  and  one  or  two 
intimate  friends  were  the  only  guests  invited  outside  the 
family.  Elsie's  fiance  came  down  from  town  with 
Vinny's  husband.  Duke  had  a  brother  officer,  who  had 
been  like  himself  invalided  home,  as  his  best  man. 

The  morning  dawned  as  fair  and  bright  as  it  could  be. 


LINKED   TOGETHER  319 

Vinny  came  in  and  insisted  upon  dressing  the  bride. 
She  stood  over  her  with  tearful  eyes  at  the  last. 

"  You  are  sure  you  will  be  happy  ?  "  she  said,  and 
the  wistful  yearning  in  her  voice  checked  the  smile  that 
was  on  Olive's  lips. 

"  I  have  no  fear,"  was  the  quiet  response,  "  I  trust 
Duke  implicitly." 

"  Don't  place  him  on  too  high  a  pedestal,"  said  Vinny, 
"  it  is  unfair  to  any  man  to  expect  perfection  ! " 

But  Olive's  face,  as  she  sat  by  her  casement  window 
in  her  white  satin  draperies,  was  so  dreamy  and  sweet, 
and  her  eyes,  wandering  away  over  the  fair  country 
outside,  shone  with  such  a  radiant  brightness  that  Vinny 
forebore  to  say  a  word  more.  She  left  her  alone,  and 
when  next  she  saw  her  standing  in  the  chancel  of  the 
church  by  her  bridegroom's  side,  the  look  of  quiet  peace- 
ful content  on  her  face  brought  comfort  to  her  anxious 
heart. 

"  He  is  a  good  man  and  will  never  disappoint  her," 
she  murmured. 

Of  course  Ida  was  very  much  to  the  fore,  and  Beauti- 
ful in  a  new  white  costume,  with  a  close  silk  cap  to  hide 
her  baldness  really  looked  quite  presentable. 

When  they  all  returned  to  the  Farm,  and  the  wedding- 
cake  was  being  cut,  Ida,  who  had  been  wonderfully  silent, 
now  found  her  voice. 

"  Beautiful  and  me  means  to  have  two  cakes  when  we 
are  married,"  she  announced  in  her  clear,  piping  voice ; 
"one  for  everybody,  and  one  for  ourselves,  which  we 
shall  take  away  with  us." 

"  And  who  will  be  your  bridegroom  ? "  asked  Muriel 
amidst  the  general  laughter. 


320 OLIVE   TRACY 

Ida  crossed  over  to  Osmond's  invalid  chair  and  laid 
her  small  hand  with  a  pretty  grace  on  his  shoulder. 

"  This  is  my  bridegroom,"  she  announced  calmly  as 
she  faced  the  company.  "  He  has  promised  to  wait  till 
I  grow  up,  and  I'm  going  to  remind  him  very  often  till 
the  time  comes,  in  case  he  forgets  it !  " 

The  scene  was  comical  in  the  extreme,  yet  it  brought 
balm  to  Osmond's  aching  heart.  He  knew  too  well  what 
Olive  had  been  to  him,  and  the  blank  that  would  come 
henceforth  into  his  life.  He  had  resisted  Duke's  en- 
treaties as  well  as  hers  that  he  should  make  his  home 
with  them ;  he  had  mockingly  scouted  the  idea  of  not 
continuing  his  life  at  the  Farm ;  he  had  assured  every- 
body who  condoled  with  him  that  they  were  wasting 
their  sympathy,  for  he  was  full  of  resources  in  himself, 
and  never  found  an  hour  too  long ;  yet  the  touch  of  that 
childish  hand  on  his  shoulder  almost  unnerved  him.  Just 
before  Olive  left  she  came  down  into  the  sitting-room 
in  her  pretty  travelling  dress,  and  found  him  alone  there. 

Shutting  the  door  she  knelt  down  by  his  couch  and 
took  his  hand  in  hers. 

"  Diogenes,"  she  said  softly,  with  misty  eyes,  "  give 
me  one  of  your  words  of  wisdom  before  I  go  from  you. 
We  have  been  very  happy  together,  but  I  can  never 
forget  how  much  of  my  happiness  I  owe  to  you.  You 
saw  me  in  my  darkest  hour,  and  it  was  through  you 
that  my  feet  found  the  sure  foundation.  If  God 
had  never  given  me  Duke,  I  should  have  been  content. 
Now  my  cup  is  overflowing.  What  have  you  to  say  to 
me  ? " 

Osmond  was  silent  for  a  moment.  Then  very  quietly 
the  words  fell  on  her  ears: 


LINKED   TOGETHER  321 

"  As  every  man  hath  received  the  gift,  even  so  minis- 
ter the  same  one  to  another." 

And  Olive  joined  her  husband,  feeling  life  in  front  of 
her  had  many  possibilities. 

They  went  to  Scotland  for  a  week  or  two,  and  then 
returned  to  Crofton  Court,  where  old  Sir  Marmaduke 
was  anxiously  and  eagerly  expecting  them.  It  was  touch- 
ing to  see  his  affection  and  admiration  for  the  young 
bride.  He  could  hardly  bear  her  out  of  his  sight,  and 
she  at  last  told  him  laughing  that  her  husband  was  get- 
ting jealous. 

"  Never ! "  said  Sir  Marmaduke  emphatically.  "  Duke 
has  not  a  vestige  of  jealousy  in  his  disposition.  I  shall 
not  be  here  long,  my  dear-,  you  must  humour  the  old 
man  whilst  he  is  with  you." 

One  morning  Olive  was  surprised  to  get  a  letter  from 
Elsie  in  which  she  asked  if  she  might  come  down  to  the 
Court  for  a  few  days'  fresh  air. 

"  I  am  tired  and  dazed  with  this  first  burst  of  summer 
heat,"  she  wrote.  "  Vinny  has  gone  off  to  Paris  for  a 
week  with  Randolph.  They  did  not  want  me  with 
them.  I  know  it  is  very  soon  to  ask  myself  on  a  visit, 
but  you  and  Duke  are  such  sensible  creatures  that  I  am 
sure  you  have  had  quite  enough  honeymoon  by  this  time." 

Olive  handed  this  to  her  husband  with  a  smile.  They 
were  at  breakfast,  and  Duke  looked  up  when  he  had 
read  it,  with  a  tiny  frown  upon  his  brow. 

"  Well,  what  does  the  master  of  the  house  say  ? " 
demanded  Olive. 

"Your  sisters  are  always  welcome,"  he  said  gravely. 

Then  Olive  left  her  seat  and  came  round  to  him. 
Putting  her  hand  lightly  on  his  shoulder  she  said : 


322  OLIVE   TRACY 

"Are  you  offended  at  her  flippancy?  Or  is  it  that 
you  want  to  keep  your  wife  to  yourself  as  much  as  pos- 
sible ?  For  I  can  see  you  do  not  want  her  here." 

Duke  put  his  arm  round  Olive,  without  replying  for 
a  minute,  then  he  said  with  a  little  laugh : 

"You  have  hit  the  right  nail  on  the  head.  I  don't 
grudge  your  being  with  my  father,  but  I  like  every  other 
bit  of  time  to  be  spent  with  me." 

Olive  bent  her  head  and  kissed  him  lightly  on  the 
forehead.  There  was  a  glow  in  her  eyes,  as  she  said : 

"I  must  teach  you  not  to  be  selfish.  It  is  only  for 
the  inside  of  a  week." 

"  I  am  quite  resigned  to  it." 

Olive  said  no  more,  but  wrote  inviting  Elsie  to  come 
at  once. 

"  I  wonder  if  Elsie  is  getting  tired  of  her  gay  life," 
she  said  to  her  husband  on  the  evening  of  the  day  before 
Elsie  was  expected. 

They  were  sitting  out  in  the  verandah  after  dinner, 
the  time  of  day  that  they  both  much  enjoyed,  as  they 
had  leisure  and  opportunity  for  conversation. 

"  When  is  she  going  to  be  married  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  I  fancied  Vinny  was  anxious  about 
her  when  I  saw  her  last.  But  then  Vinny  is  always  a 
croaker." 

"  Perhaps  she  knows  the  fellow  better  than  Elsie  does." 

Olive  started. 

"  Do  you  know  him,  Duke  ?  " 

"  I  have  heard  of  him." 

"  Where  ?     At  your  club  in  town  ?  " 

"  He  is  a  member  of  it,  so  I  have  heard  his  name 
mentioned." 


LINKED   TOGETHER  323 

"  Now  don't  put  on  that  wise-acre  face,  but  tell  me 
at  once  what  you  have  heard." 

Duke  smiled  at  his  wife's  impulsiveness. 

"  You  never  encourage  gossip,"  he  said  quietly. 

"  No,  I  hate  it,  and  that  is  why  I  hate  clubs  so.  The 
club  talk  must  be  so  objectionable.  But  still  this  is 
different.  I  hope  you  haven't  heard  anything  bad  about 
him  ? " 

u  Oh  no,  only  gossip,"  said  Duke. 

"Tell  me  at  once." 

Olive's  face  was  stern  and  set.  Duke  glanced  at  her 
and  smiled. 

"  You  little  tyrant !  Am  I  to  report  all  club  con- 
versations for  your  benefit  ?  Well,  I  will  not  tease  you. 
His  character  was  being  discussed,  pulled  to  pieces  in  a 
few  short,  terse  remarks.  Perhaps  he  had  offended  the 
speakers,  but  he  has  the  reputation  of  caring  for  more 
than  one  girl  at  a  time.  I  was  sorry  to  hear  it,  for  it 
would  go  hard  with  Elsie  if  she  were  deceived  in  any  one." 

"Very  hard,"  said  Olive  thoughtfully.  She  said  no 
more,  but  met  her  sister  the  next  day  with  hidden  anx- 
iety. At  first,  she  laughed  at  her  fears.  Elsie  was  so 
bright  and  amusing,  so  full  of  town  chatter,  that  it 
seemed  difficult  to  imagine  any  cloud  on  her  horizon. 
But  after  a  time  Olive  detected  a  little  weariness  in  tone, 
a  hard  ring  in  her  voice  that  used  not  to  be.  Elsie 
caught  her  anxious  gaze  and  laughed. 

"  Do  all  married  people  get  such  a  look  of  doubt  and 
perplexity  in  their  faces  as  you  and  Vinny  do  ?  "  she 
asked.  "  What  is  it  that  you  are  wanting  to  ask  me  ?  " 

"  Nothing,"  said  Olive  confusedly.  "  Are  you  glad 
to  eet  out  of  town  ?  " 


324  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  Yes,  the  heat  is  frightful,  and  no  one  is  there  now." 

"You  have  Cyril?" 

44  Yes,  but  he  has  been  very  busy  lately  over  some 
case  he  has  in  hand." 

"And  when  are  you  going  to  be  married  ?  " 

"  Oh  don't  worry  me  about  that."  Elsie's  tone  was 
impatient.  "  I  am  not  in  any  hurry,  neither  is  he.  I 
wish  some  one  would  leave  me  a  legacy.  If  old  maids 
and  bachelors  were  really  nice,  they  would  start  a  fund 
for  young  married  couples,  and  give  them,  say,  a  small 
income  for  the  first  ten  years.  It  would  be  a  great 
boon  to  many." 

"  I  dare  say  it  would,  but  they  would  not  like  it  being 
stopped  when  the  tenth  year  came." 

"  Oh  yes,  by  that  time  the  worst  would  be  over,  and 
they  would  be  past  caring  for  it." 

"I  thought  Cyril  was  so  well  able  to  marry." 

"  Did  I  say  he  wasn't  ?  " 

Olive  changed  the  conversation.  After  dinner  that 
evening,  Elsie  sank  into  an  easy  chair  by  the  open  window 
in  the  drawing-room,  with  a  sigh. 

"  You  are  fortunate,  Olive." 

"  In  what  ?  " 

"  In  your  house,  your  wealth,  your  position." 
•  "  In  my  husband,"  corrected  Olive. 

Elsie  laughed.  "  Oh  yes,  I  will  include  him  !  So  you 
take  to  your  new  vocation  as  well  as  you  did  to  that  of 
governessing  that  naughty  child  at  the  farm  ?  What  has 
become  of  her  ?  " 

"  I  believe  she  is  to  have  a  governess  as  soon  as  one 
can  be  found.  Meanwhile  she  goes  to  Diogenes  for 
lessons,  and  delights  in  them." 


LINKED    TOGETHER  325 

"  You  are  in  for  an  easy,  comfortable  life,"  said  Elsie 
after  a  pause.  "  I  dare  say  you  will  have  done  best  after 
all." 

"I  didn't  think  I  should  be  here  this  time  last  year," 
said  Olive  slowly. 

"  No  indeed.  Tell  me  now,  didn't  you  hate  that 
fraud  who  was  here  ?  It  puzzles  me  how  you  were 
able  to  come  over  to  her  if  you  were  liking  Duke  all 
the  while  ?  " 

Olive  flushed  at  once.  She  was  keenly  sensitive  about 
that  bit  of  her  past,  and  even  a  sister's  touch  was  hard 
to  bear. 

She  was  silent.     Elsie  went  on  : 

"If  I  were  ever  deceived  in  a  man  like  that,  or 
thought  I  was,  I  should  go  straight  away  and  do  some- 
thing irrevocable.  I  should  never  look  at,  or  think  of 
him  again ! " 

"  Would  you  have  remedied  your  case  ?  " 

"  I  dare  say  not.  I  should  have  married  Colonel 
Holmes  if  I  had  been  you.  Yes,  married  him  at  once ; 
and  when  Duke  returned  should  not  have  looked  at 
him!" 

"  Of  course  not.  But  that  would  have  been  a  great 
calamity.  You  would  have  spoiled  three  lives  by  injured 
pride." 

"  I  often  wonder  after  all,"  Elsie  continued,  "  whether 
a  married  life  isn't  a  risky  fate  in  these  days.  Men  are 
so  selfish.  They  have  lost  the  old  chivalry  for  women 
that  they  used  to  have,  and  think  that  ten  minutes  of 
their  society  is  a  great  privilege,  and  to  be  prized  ac- 
cordingly !  " 

"  I   think   that  is   only  a  certain  type  of  man,"  said 


326  OLIVE   TRACY 

Olive  gently.  "It  seems  to  me  the  world  is  pretty 
much  the  same  as  it  has  ever  been.  There  are  bad  men 
and  bad  women ;  but  there  are  good  ones  too." 

"  Oh  yes,  I  agree  with  you  there :  you  and  Duke 
superlatively  good,  Mark  and  Cora  superlatively  bad, 
Cyril  and  I  a  medium  of  both,  Vinny  and  Randolph 
pleasant  apart,  unpleasant  together." 

"  You  have  your  old  trick  of  generalising  people," 
said  Olive  laughing. 

"  Yes,  I  find  myself  involuntarily  doing  it.  After  five 
minutes  in  any  London  drawing-room,  I  can  generally 
class  all  the  individuals  off  on  my  five  fingers.  The 
matrons  with  daughters :  one  aim,  one  object  in  their 
lives,  and  everything  in  their  dress,  their  conversation, 
and  tastes  subservient  to  it.  The  young  married  women, 
and  married  women  whose  daughters  are  not  yet  out ; 
perhaps  these  have  the  best  time  of  all,  for  they  are  free 
to  follow  their  different  pursuits,  whether  it  is  catching 
celebrities,  or  dabbling  in  politics,  or  posing  as  philan- 
thropists, and  they  can  always  command  the  attention 
and  interest  of  men.  Then  there  are  the  single  women 
with  their  fluttering  hearts  and  eager  hopes,  their  keen 
enjoyments  and  bitter  disappointments.  And  lastly  the 
men.  I  class  old  and  young  together,  for  when  is  a 
society  man  too  old  to  conquer  !  The  lords  of  creation  ! 
two  classes  of  them,  the  clever  ones,  and  the  fools; 
both  acceptable,  both  unquenchable,  both  imbued  with 
the  Veni^  vidi,  vici  principles  !  " 

"  Oh  Elsie,  you  are  changed  !  "  Olive  exclaimed. 
"  Have  you  already  adopted  Vinny's  way  of  talk  ?  " 

"  Indeed  I  have  not,"  Elsie  said  with  warmth.  "  I 
love  London  life,  but  I  cannot  help  seeing  its  eccen- 


LINKED    TOGETHER  327 

tricities.  Now  let  us  leave  my  surroundings.  I  want 
to  know  if  any  one  has  heard  from  Cora  or  her 
husband  ? " 

"  Duke  wrote  to  them  the  other  day.  We  have  only 
had  their  address  lately.  Cora  sent  me  a  line  after 
seeing  our  wedding  in  the  paper." 

"  Oh  do  show  it  to  me.     I  am  curious  to  see  it." 

Olive  went  to  her  davenport. 

"  I  don't  mind  your  seeing  it,  but  I  would  not  show 
it  to  any  one  else." 

Elsie  took  it  and  read. 

MY  DEAR  OLIVE, 

Accept  my  congratulations.  I  can  fancy  your  stepping 
into  the  position  at  Crofton  Court  that  I  once  occupied,  with  great 
ease  and  dignity,  but  I  do  not  think  I  figured  badly  as  a  daughter  of 
the  house.  I  look  back  now  with  some  amusement  to  my  experiences 
at  that  time,  but  would  not  like  to  repeat  them.  Give  Duke  my  good 
wishes  for  his  future.  I  gave  him  a  very  bad  half-hour,  I  know,  and 
can  see  his  terror-stricken  face  now  as  he  realised  all  that  I  had  been 
doing  in  his  absence. 

If  I  hadn't  been  forced  by  circumstances  to  be  wicked,  I  think 
I  should  have  liked  you.  But  your  goodness  was  oppressive.  Still 
think  mercifully  of  me.  Life  is  a  puzzle. 

Your  sister-in-law, 

CORA  CROFTON. 

"  I  like  that  letter,"  said  Elsie  as  she  handed  it  back. 
"  It  is  frank  and  honest.  She  was  a  4  puppet  of  fate  '  !  " 

"  Poor  Cora,  I  cannot  help  feeling  sorry  for  her  with 
such  a  husband.  I  wonder  if  he  will  ever  be  different." 

"  Never,  I  should  say.  People  can't  change  their 
nature." 

"  God  can." 

"  Now  don't  preach,  Olive  !  " 


328  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  I  am  not  going  to,  I  was  only  stating  a  fact." 

"A  fancy,  I  should  say." 

"  Is  it  fancy  about  Eddie  ?  " 

For  a  minute  Elsie  looked  sober;  then  she  said 
carelessly : 

"  Oh  well,  time  will  show.  And  Eddie  is  rather  a 
different  character  to  Mark." 

"  He  was  on  the  way  to  become  very  like  him." 

Duke  joined  them  at  this  moment,  and  the  subject 
was  changed,  but  when  Elsie  had  retired  to  her  room 
that  evening  Olive  said  to  her  husband: 

"  Duke,  Elsie  is  not  happy.  I  believe  Cyril  is  neglect- 
ing her,  though  she  is  too  proud  to  confess  it." 

And  then  Duke,  who  was  a  man  of  few  words,  said 
shortly  : 

"  She  will  be  happier  without  him." 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

HOME    FROM    THE    WAR 

But  now  shall  thou  tell,  while  I  eagerly  listen, 

Of  each  bold  adventure,  of  every  brave  scar, 

And,  trust  me,  I'll  smile,  through  my  e'en  they  may  glisten 

For  sweet  after  danger's  the  tale  of  the  war. 

— Sir  Walter  Scott. 

ELSIE  was  always  restless  and  pre-occupied  when  the 
post  came.  She  said  very  little  to  Olive  about  her  own 
affairs ;  and  when  the  latter  suggested  asking  Cyril  down 
from  Saturday  to  Monday,  she  promptly  negatived  the 
proposal. 

"  He  is  too  busy  just  now  to  leave  town ;  it  would  be 
useless  to  ask  him." 

Perhaps  Olive's  eyes  were  keener  than  usual,  but  she 
could  not  help  noticing  that  Elsie's  anxiety  was  chiefly 
owing  to  no  letter  reaching  her  from  him.  And  when 
about  a  week  after  she  had  arrived,  the  anticipated  letter 
came,  the  sudden  flush,  and  light  in  her  eyes  told  Olive 
how  much  it  was  to  her. 

She  opened  it  at  the  breakfast  table.  Olive  was  busy 
reading  her  own  letters,  and  it  was  some  minutes  before 
she  gave  any  attention  to  her  sister.  When  she  made 
some  remark,  to  which  Elsie  did  not  respond,  she  glanced 
up,  and  was  struck  with  the  pallor  of  her  face. 

"  You  are  not  well,  Elsie  ?  "  she  said. 

Elsie  gave  a  little  nervous  laugh. 

"  Quite  well,  thank  you  ;  what  was  it  you  said  ?  I 
was  dreaming,  I  think." 

329 


330  OLIVE   TRACY 

She  chatted  away  as  usual,  but  after  breakfast,  slipped 
away  to  her  room,  and  when  luncheon  time  came,  sent 
Baker  with  a  message  asking  to  be  excused  from  coming 
down,  as  she  had  a  headache. 

Olive  went  up  to  her  about  an  hour  after.  At  first 
Elsie  would  not  let  her  in,  but  she  yielded  at  last,  and 
Olive  found  her  sitting  by  her  writing-table  at  the  open 
window. 

"  Why,  Elsie  dear,  I  hoped  you  were  lying  down." 

"  No,  I  have  had  a  good  many  letters  to  write.  I  did 
not  tell  you,  but  I  am  thinking  of  going  out  to  Egypt 
with  Mrs.  Harrison  and  her  daughter.  They  asked  me 
a  couple  of  months  ago,  and  I  refused,  but  I  have  heard 
again  from  them  and  I  think  I  shall  go." 

Olive  hardly  knew  what  to  say.  This  news  surprised 
her  but  she  felt  that  more  was  behind  it. 

"  Well,  I  suppose  you  must  please  yourself,"  she 
said  at  last.  "  How  long  will  you  be  away  ?  " 

"  About  six  months,  I  hope." 

"  And  what  will  Cyril  say  ?  " 

Elsie  gave  a  bitter  little  laugh,  then  she  handed  Olive 
a  letter. 

"  You  will  have  to  know  sooner  or  later,  only  spare 
me  any  sympathy.  It  is  a  masterpiece  of  wisdom,  I 
consider." 

Olive  did  not  require  to  be  told  the  contents.  She 
guessed  at  once. 

MY  DEAR  ONE, 

After  sleepless  nights  and  a  lot  of  anxious  thought,  I  am  re- 
solving to  be  perfectly  frank  and  upright,  and  put  the  whole  matter 
before  you.  I  know  you  have  thought  me  strangely  neglectful  of  you 
lately.  My  heart  and  head  have  been  waging  war  with  one  another, 


HOME  FROM  THE  WAR  331 

and  I  have  been  tortured  between  duty  and  inclination.  The  plain 
fact  is  this.  I  have  done  you  a  culpable  wrong  by  asking  you  to  link 
your  life  with  mine,  when  I  have  so  little  to  offer  you.  You  are 
young  and  inexperienced,  and  do  not  realise  that  my  income  is  totally 
inadequate  to  our  requirements.  I  blame  myself  infinitely  for  putting 
you  in  such  a  false  position,  but  my  adoring  love  blinded  my  common- 
sense.  If  I  had  any  hope  that  my  prospects  would  better  themselves, 
I  would  ask  you  to  trust  me  and  wait.  But  I  will  not  do  you  the  in- 
jury of  fettering  your  liberty,  and  letting  you  waste  your  best  years  in 
being  tied  to  one  who  is  not  worthy  of  you.  I  release  you,  I  give  you 
up,  for  it  is  the  only  worthy  course  I  can  pursue,  the  only  honourable 
one,  and  I  can  tell  you  it  is  at  the  cost  of  all  my  present  happiness. 
The  future  looks  dark,  I  hardly  dare  think  of  it,  but, 

Believe  me  always, 

Your  devoted, 

CYRIL. 

Olive  read  it  through,  then  she  laid  it  on  Elsie's  writ- 
ing table  in  silence. 

After  a  minute  she  said  : 

"  No,  I  won't  offer  you  sympathy,  but  congratulation 
on  escaping  such  a  fate." 

Elsie  looked  up  with  flashing  eyes. 

"  I  was  warned,"  she  said ;  "  he  has  been  engaged 
once  before ;  and  they  say  an  American  heiress  will  be 
his  next  venture.  Do  you  know  what  cuts  me  most  in 
his  letter  ?  I  think  he  knew  it  would  tell.  My  '  youth 
and  inexperience.'  Now  not  another  word,  please.  I 
am  not  in  a  mood  to  converse  !  " 

Olive  sighed  as  she  left  her.  She  knew  what  a  blow 
this  would  be  to  Elsie's  pride  and  sensitiveness.  She 
felt  the  trouble  would  make  her  hard  and  bitter,  yet  was 
powerless  to  help  her,  as  Elsie  would  not  hear  a  word. 
She  relieved  herself  by  writing  a  long  letter  to  Vinny 
about  it,  and  Vinny  wrote  back  saying  that  he  ought  to 
be  horsewhipped,  but  that,  for  Elsie's  sake,  she  was  try- 

5 


332  OLIVE   TRACY 

ing  to  make  people  think  it  was  by  mutual  agreement 
that  the  engagement  was  broken  off. 

Elsie  had  a  strong  will.  There  was  never  a  trace  of 
tears  in  her  eyes,  or  a  shadow  of  disappointment  in  her 
face  at  this  time.  In  fact  she  seemed  to  gain  fresh  bril- 
liancy and  energy,  and  was  full  of  interest  about  her  pro- 
jected visit  to  Egypt. 

One  afternoon  Olive  drove  her  over  to  see  Osmond. 
He  was  sitting  in  his  old  position  under  the  apple  tree  in 
the  orchard,  and  Ida,  with  paint-box  and  paper  by  his 
side,  was  having  a  painting  lesson. 

As  Olive  sat  down,  she  looked  round  her  with  a 
happy  laugh. 

"  I  don't  believe  I'm  married  at  all,"  she  said ;  "  I 
feel  that  this  is  my  proper  place  !  " 

Ida  climbed  into  her  lap  at  once. 

"  Can  you  unmarry  if  you  want  to  ?  And  begin  over 
again  ?  I  wish  you  would,  because  I  don't  like  your 
being  finished  up." 

"  But  I  don't  feel  at  all  finished  up,  you  monkey  ! 
What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  You're  married  to  your  Prince,  Uncle  Humbug  said. 
And  then  everybody  comes  to  an  end.  Don't  you  un- 
derstand ?  Beautiful  and  me  always  sighs  when  people 
gets  married,  because  it  says,  '  and  they  married,  and 
lived  happily  ever  after.'  And  then  there's  no  more 
about  them.  It  made  me  quite  sorry  when  you  were 
married  !  " 

"  But  I  haven't  come  to  an  end  yet,"  Olive  said 
laughing,  "  and  I  feel  that  I  have  a  great  deal  to  learn, 
and  a  great  deal  to  do  before  that  time  comes.  In  fact 
I  shall  never  come  to  an  end  at  all,  Ida.  I  am  not  in  a 


HOME  FROM  THE  WAR  333 

story  book.  Come  along  into  the  kitchen  garden  with 
me,  and  we  will  see  if  those  lovely  golden  plums  are 
ripe.  I  have  often  longed  for  one  this  summer  ! " 

She  led  the  child  away.  Elsie  was  describing  her  pro- 
posed tour  to  Egypt  with  great  animation,  and  Osmond 
lay  and  listened  to  her,  noting  every  glance  and  tone  in 
her  face  and  voice.  He  could  give  her  much  informa- 
tion, she  knew,  and  for  some  time  they  were  deeply  en- 
grossed in  the  geography  and  history  of  Egypt.  But 
gradually  they  came  to  more  personal  topics,  and  some- 
thing Osmond  said  about  Vinny  drew  forth  from  Elsie  a 
protest. 

"  Vinny  honestly  means  what  she  says.  I  don't  think 
she  believes  in  any  one,  except  perhaps  you  and  Olive. 
I  used  to  laugh  at  her,  but  experience  is  a  sharp  and 
effectual  teacher,  and  I  am  of  her  mind  now." 

"  That  is  a  pity  !  " 

"  Not  at  all.  The  pity  is  that  one  is  such  a  fool  to 
believe  in  people.  It  gives  one  such  unnecessary  shocks 
and  discomfort." 

Osmond  was  silent,  then  he  said  bluntly  : 

"  Don't  judge  everybody  alike.  I  can't  hedge  about, 
so  excuse  plain  speaking.  Of  course  I  know  your  faith 
has  been  shaken  in  one,  but  he  does  not  represent  the 
whole  human  race,  does  he  ?  " 

Elsie  winced  a  little,  then  she  looked  Osmond  straight 
in  the  face. 

"  Look  here,  Diogenes,  I  know  in  your  heart  you  must 
be  feeling  triumphant  !  Don't  deny  it.  You  remember 
my  supreme  self-satisfaction  and  elation  with  my  cir- 
cumstances. Now  you  say  to  yourself,  '  She  has  found 
the  world  a  sham,  a  delusion,  she  has  discovered  at  last 


334  OLIVE   TRACY 

that  society  life  is  hollow  and  unsatisfying.'  And  you 
are  longing  to  preach  to  me,  and  to  tell  me  to  forsake 
my  giddy  round  of  pleasure  and  gaiety,  and  take  up  those 
things  that  will  bring  a  solid  satisfaction  into  my  soul ! 
Now  isn't  this  an  exact  description  of  your  feelings  ?  " 

"  Something  like  them,  I  own  !  " 

"  Well,  I  tell  you  that  I  am  not  a  bit  tired  of c  the 
world  '  as  you  good  people  call  it.  I  am  sickened  of  a 
certain  class  of  men  ;  but  my  world  is  not  made  up  of 
men  and  women  alone  ;  I  have  other  things  to  amuse 
and  interest  my  mind  !  " 

There  was  a  hard  defiant  ring  in  her  voice.  Osmond 
said  nothing  for  a  minute,  then  he  remarked  gently  : 

"  I  am  glad  you  have  so  many  interests.  You  will 
find  you  will  want  increasing  stores  of  them  as  time 
goes  by." 

"  Why  ?  " 

"  Because  they  will  keep  failing  you.  You  will  grow 
beyond  them." 

"  You  have  a  good  opinion  of  my  capabilities  !  " 

"  I  think  your  soul  will  die  hard  !  " 

"  Diogenes,  what  extraordinary  things  you  say  !  " 

Elsie  was  startled  at  last.  She  was  very  miserable, 
poor  girl ;  and  Osmond's  quick  eyes  perceived  that  un- 
der all  her  stony  indifference,  her  heart  was  aching  with 
doubt  and  disappointment. 

"  Am  I  mistaken  in  thinking  that  you  have  one  ?  " 

Elsie  was  dumb. 

A  long  silence  ensued,  and  then  as  Olive  and  Ida  were 
heard  returning,  he  wrote  something  on  a  piece  of  paper 
and  slipped  it  into  her  hand. 

"  Read  that  to-night  before  you  go  to  sleep." 


HOME  FROM  THE  WAR  335 

"  Is  it  a  bit  of  your  philosophy  ?  " 

"  No,  something  much  better.  It  is  a  description  of 
a  life  like  yours  and  the  result  of  it  after  a  few  years." 

Elsie  pocketed  the  paper.  Her  sober  mood  was 
gone,  and  for  the  rest  of  the  afternoon  she  laughed  and 
talked  as  if  she  were  without  a  care. 

But  when  she  went  to  bed  that  night  she  had  the 
curiosity  to  unfold  the  paper. 

"  I  suppose  it  is  some  text,"  she  said,  and  these  were 
the  words  that  confronted  her  : 

"  Consider  your  ways.  Ye  have  sown  much,  and 
bring  in  little,  ye  eat  but  ye  have  not  enough ;  ye  drink 
but  ye  are  not  filled  with  drink ;  ye  clothe  you,  but  there 
is  none  warm ;  and  he  that  earneth  wages,  earneth  wages 
to  put  it  into  a  bag  with  holes."  "  Thou  sayest  .  .  . 
I  have  need  of  nothing  !  " 

She  folded  it  up  thoughtfully. 

"  A  cheerful  verdict  on  my  life,"  she  muttered ;  "  I  am 
afraid  I  am  beginning  to  find  that 4 1  have  not  enough  ! '  " 

She  went  abroad,  but  a  little  seed  had  been  dropped 
into  a  soft  bit  of  ground,  and  though  hidden,  and  nearly 
choked  for  many  a  long  day,  did  eventually  spring  up, 
and  bear  fruit. 

****** 

The  war  was  virtually  over.  England  had  given  and 
done  her  best  in  the  great  struggle  for  supremacy.  The 
future  will  alone  tell  what  a  blessing  British  rule,  with 
its  impartial  justice  and  freedom,  will  be  to  black  and 
white,  to  poor  and  rich  in  South  Africa.  Christians  and 
philanthropists  must  rejoice  in  the  opening  up  of  many 
dark  tracts  for  missions  and  civilisation.  But  with  the 
affairs  of  South  Africa  we  have  not  to  deal ;  only  with 


336  OLIVE   TRACY 

a  bright  gathering  at  Crofton  Court  to  welcome  a  young 
hero  home  from  the  war. 

It  was  strictly  a  family  gathering ;  yet  Lord  Bannister 
and  his  daughter  were  among  the  invited  guests. 

"  Old  friends  are  as  near  and  dear  as  relations,"  said 
Olive,  when  Muriel  ventured  to  suggest  that  they  might 
be  in  the  way.  "  And  Eddie  would  expect  a  welcome 
from  you,  Dot." 

Muriel  was  not  so  ready  to  laugh  at  this  notion  as 
she  would  have  been  formerly.  She  had  followed  the 
fortunes  of  many  of  her  friends  out  at  the  front  through 
that  terrible  year,  but  none  of  them  with  such  intense 
interest  and  anxiety  as  she  had  the  gay  boyish  subaltern 
on  u  special  service."  She  had  seen  his  name  honourably 
mentioned  in  more  than  one  dispatch,  and  quite  recently 
had  read  with  breathless  heart-throbs  the  account  of  a 
gallant  action,  which  had  resulted  in  his  being  sent  home 
with  a  wounded  leg,  and  named  for  a  V.C. 

"  Is  he  much  altered,  Olive  ?  "  she  asked  with  appar- 
ent carelessness. 

"  I  think  he  is,  but  will  leave  you  to  form  your  own 
opinion." 

They  were  now  all  grouped  together  in  the  drawing- 
room  after  dinner.  Elsie  was  the  only  absent  one.  She 
was  still  in  Egypt.  Osmond  was  lying  on  a  couch  ; 
Vinny  sat  by  him,  looking  sweeter,  and  perhaps  a  little 
sadder  than  ever.  Her  husband  was  talking  to  old  Sir 
Marmaduke  who  had  just  been  wheeled  into  the  room 
by  his  attendant.  Lord  Bannister,  Duke  and  Eddie 
were  having  an  animated  discussion  on  the  virtues  and 
vices  of  Tommy  Atkins  "  under  fire,"  and  the  ladies 
were  offering  their  opinions  freely. 


HOME  FROM  THE  WAR  337 

As  Muriel  looked  at  Eddie,  she  saw  what  Olive  meant 
when  she  said  he  was  changed.  The  sunny-faced,  gay- 
hearted  boy  was  gone,  and  in  his  place  a  man  with  grave 
stern  lines  about  his  face,  had  returned.  Yet  his  smile 
was  as  sweet,  the  light  in  his  blue  eyes  as  true  and 
bright  as  ever. 

"  I  wish,"  said  Olive  presently,  letting  her  gaze  rest 
rather  wistfully  on  her  husband's  tall  figure,  "that  Duke 
had  come  home  with  a  V.C.  I  am  sure  he  deserved  it !  " 

Duke  gave  one  of  his  hearty  laughs.  "V.C.'s  are 
very  plentiful  at  present,"  he  said  ;  "  but  there  would  not 
be  a  man  without  one  if  it  were  left  to  their  relatives' 
judgment." 

"  Ah  well,"  said  Eddie  turning  to  his  sister.  "  You 
have  right  on  your  side,  Oily.  I  saw  a  fellow  in  Duke's 
battery  a  short,  time  ago  who  told  me  he  ought  to  have 
had  the  V.C.  three  times  over ;  only  he  did  everything 
in  such  a  quiet  way,  that  unless  there  was  an  eye-witness 
it  did  not  eke  out.  My  own  opinion  is  that  a  V.C.  is 
just  chance.  I  happened  to  drag  one  of  my  superiors 
out  of  a  hot  corner,  when  the  General's  eye  was  on  me. 
It  was  no  more  than  fifty  others  had  done  again  and 
again,  but  if  no  one  had  seen  them,  no  General  had  been 
by  to  jot  it  down  in  his  note-book,  it  would  have  gone 
for  nothing — as  far  as  the  honour  and  glory  of  it  was 
concerned  !  I  suppose  it  is  the  way  of  the  world  ;  some 
come  in  for  the  cream,  others  have  to  content  themselves 
with  the  skim.  I  came  home  with  two  men  both  in- 
valided. One  told  me  his  father  was  preparing  a  regular 
ovation  at  the  family  place,  triumphal  arches,  village 
holiday,  and  all  the  rest  of  it.  He  was  awfully  bored  at 
the  thought  of  it,  and  told  me  he  would  like  to  cut  and 


338  OLIVE   TRACY 

run  from  it  all.  The  other  fellow  was  also  going  home, 
he  and  three  brothers  went  out.  He  is  the  only  one  left 
alive,  and  he  said  he  could  best  have  been  spared  of  them 
all.  His  mother  dreads  his  home-coming,  and  will  only 
meet  him  at  a  gay  house-party  at  some  relative's.  She 
does  not  want  to  be  reminded  of  her  losses,  and  seems 
to  think  he  ought  not  to  have  come  through  safely  if  the 
others  did  not." 

"  What  a  heartless  woman  !  "  exclaimed  Muriel. 

"  I  suppose  she  tries  to  bear  her  trouble  heroically," 
said  Olive ;  "  and  excitement  is  the  only  thing  that  keeps 
her  up." 

"  Have  you  seen  anything  of  Colonel  Holmes,  Eddie  ? " 
asked  Vinny. 

"Yes,  I  felt  quite  queer  coming  across  my  regiment 
and  being  such  an  outsider.  I  don't  know  that  I  would 
have  liked  going  back  to  it  though.  I  think  if  you're 
only  a  sub  you  see  more  of  the  plan  of  campaign  on 
special  service.  Poor  old  Holmes,  he  was  in  action  soon 
after  he  went  out,  but  he  told  a  fellow  I  knew,  that  they 
had  come  out  l  too  late  to  save  the  prestige  of  the  British 
Army ! ' " 

"  That  was  rather  strong  !  "    remarked  Duke  smiling. 

"  I  assure  you  his  words  were  to  that  effect ;  he  said 
that  it  was  the  want  of  cavalry  at  the  outset  that  was 
one  of  our  biggest  blunders,  and  of  course  all  acknowl- 
edge that  now.  I  saw  him  just  before  I  started  for  home. 
He  looked  rather  shaky  himself,  had  had  a  slight  attack 
of  fever.  He  asked  to  be  remembered  to  you  all,  and 
sent  some  special  message  to  Olive.  May  I  give  it,  your 
Grace  ? " 

Duke  nodded  with  a  laugh. 


HOME  FROM  THE  WAR  339 

"  It  was  only  :  4  Wish  her  happiness  from  me  in  her 
married  life,  she  deserves  it.' ' 

Olive  coloured  a  little ;  and  Vinny,  feeling  for  her, 
deftly  turned  the  subject. 

Later  that  evening  Muriel  sauntered  round  the  dusky 
garden  with  the  young  soldier. 

"Tell  me  some  of  your  experiences,"  she  said.  "I 
want  to  hear  how  you  were  wounded." 

"  It  would  not  interest  you,"  said  Eddie  gravely ; 
"  and  details  of  a  battlefield  are  ghastly  things  for  a  lady 
to  hear." 

Muriel  looked  up  at  him  with  a  little  of  her  old  play- 
fulness. 

41  Do  you  know  I  am  getting  almost  afraid  of  you  ?  I 
used  to  feel  years  older  before  you  went  abroad,  as  if  I 
were  a  kind  of  mother  to  you,  but  you  have  grown  so 
marvellously,  that  I  feel  a  child  beside  you  now." 

Eddie  smiled,  not  ill-pleased  at  this  confession ;  then 
he  said  with  feeling  : 

"  I  was  a  raw  youth  when  I  went  out.  But  I  can  tell 
you  there  are  no  raw  youths  left  who  have  been  through 
the  thick  of  a  campaign.  It  ages  a  fellow  quicker  than 
anything.  You  get  hardened  to  the  awful  sights  of  suf- 
fering after  a  time,  but  it  takes  the  life  and  spirit  out  of 
you,  and  you  settle  down  to  endure  it  and  go  through 
with  it  as  cheerfully  as  you  can." 

"  War  is  an  awful  thing  !  " 

"Yes,  it  always  will  be." 

There  was  a  little  silence  between  them,  then  very 
quietly  Eddie  put  his  hand  into  his  pocket  and  took  a 
tiny  testament  out  of  it.  He  opened  it,  and  took  a 
photograph  from  it,  which  he  placed  in  her  hand. 


340  OLIVE   TRACY 

"  My  photo  ?  "  she  said,  blushing  a  little. 

"Yes,  it  has  never  left  me,  and  has  been  my  constant 
companion  and  comfort,  next  to  my  little  book." 

Muriel  looked  at  his  well-worn  testament  rather  shyly. 

"  How  stained  it  is,"  she  said. 

"Yes,  I  was  wounded  on  the  field." 

She  shivered  as  she  realised  the  yellow  stains  signified 
his  strong  young  life  blood. 

"  It's  when  you're  meeting  death  every  moment,"  con- 
tinued Eddie  slowly,  "  that  you  know  what  your  religion 
is  worth.  I'm  thankful  I  had  got  hold  of  the  real  thing, 
for  I  was  able  to  pass  it  on  to  many  who  needed  it,  and 
that  is  a  grand  privilege." 

Tears  crept  into  Muriel's  eyes. 

Then  Eddie  put  his  arm  round  her. 

"  I  prayed  for  you  night  and  morning,  darling,  and 
kissed  your  sweet  face  whenever  I  felt  low.  Can  you 
give  me  my  heart's  desire  now  that  you  acknowledge  I 
have  grown  into  a  man  ?  " 

Muriel  tried  to  answer,  but  she  could  not,  and  after 
one  look  at  her  happy,  blushing  face  Eddie  was  content. 

The  guests  had  retired  to  their  rooms.  Only  husband 
and  wife  remained  in  the  empty  drawing-room.  They 
often  lingered  thus  together,  and  to-night  Olive  seemed 
loth  to  go. 

"  The  young  hero  bears  his  honours  well,"  Duke  said, 
after  they  had  been  talking  a  short  time. 

"Yes,"  Olive  replied.  "  I  sometimes  think  that  this 
war  has  brought  many  blessings.  It  must  have  strength- 
ened and  developed  many  a  young  fellow's  character,  and 
from  what  Eddie  says,  made  many  a  careless,  reckless 
nature  steady  down  and  view  things  differently. " 


HOME  FROM  THE  WAR  341 

"  Suffering  and  hardships  arc  blessings  in  disguise." 

"  I  suppose  so." 

Olive  looked  thoughtfully  at  her  husband  as  she  spoke. 
She  added,  "  I  am  so  thankful  that  the  war  has  not  taken 
any  of  our  dear  ones  from  us.  What  a  year  it  has  been  ! 
How  many  empty  homes  and  broken  hearts.  Yet  we 
have  escaped,  and  both  you  and  Eddie  have  been  brought 
back  to  us  safely." 

"I  must  thank  the  war,"  said  Duke  very  quietly, "for 
touching  one  heart  and  making  it  miss  me." 

"  I  hope  I  shall  never  go  through  such  a  year  again," 
said  Olive,  with  a  long-drawn  breath. 

"  Perhaps,"  said  her  husband  gravely,  "  it  is  well  for 
us  that  we  cannot  choose  our  path,  or  know  our  future. 
1  God  has  His  plan  for  every  man.'  " 


000  101  343     2 


